© 2023, The Conversation Trust (UK) Limited. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, to view a copy of the license, see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Jenkin, Claire

Krasnoff, Lindsay Sarah

Postlethwaite, Verity

English

University of Hertfordshire Research Archive

01/11/2023, 16:20 Women's World Cup: how better sports diplomacy can help women's football growhttps://theconversation.com/womens-world-cup-how-better-sports-diplomacy-can-help-womens-football-grow-207884 1/4Academic rigour, journalistic flairWomen’s World Cup: how better sports diplomacy can helpwomen’s football growPublished: August 3, 2023 12.47pm BSTVerity PostlethwaiteDoctoral Prize Fellow, Sport, Business and Society Research Group, Loughborough UniversityClaire JenkinSenior Lecturer in Sports Development, University of HertfordshireLindsay Sarah KrasnoffResearch Associate, Centre for International Studies & Diplomacy, SOAS, University of London  LanguagesBahasa IndonesiaEnglishThe 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup is set to be the biggest yet. Co-hosted by Australia and NewZealand, the event is projected to have over a million spectators and 2 billion television and digital viewers.Fifa plans to use the event to “unlock the commercial value” of women’s football. But there is adelicate balance to be struck between aims of economic growth, and the use of sports diplomacy tofurther gender equality, which is very important to a tournament such as the Women’s World Cup. Dancers perform during a celebration in Sydney ahead of the 2023 Fifa Women’sWorld Cup. EPA-EFE/Steven Markham01/11/2023, 16:20 Women's World Cup: how better sports diplomacy can help women's football growhttps://theconversation.com/womens-world-cup-how-better-sports-diplomacy-can-help-womens-football-grow-207884 2/4The cancellation of a sponsorship deal between Visit Saudi – the tourism arm of the Saudi Arabiangovernment – and the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, for example, shows that Fifa have some way togo in finding this balance. And research backs this up.Fifa president Gianni Infantino in 2021 described sports diplomacy as: “Harnessing the power offootball to benefit society, through the teamwork of our partnerships, is sports diplomacy in action.”Often happening out of the spotlight, these acts of diplomacy (which include communication, representation and negotiation) are critical for the organisers, including the international federationsthat sanction such events.Research shows that sports diplomacy is particularly important when hosting an internationalwomen’s sporting event. This is because international sports organisations have traditionally beenseen as an “old boys’ club” with powerful sporting administrations drawn from elite and affluent malenetworks. And so careful sports diplomacy is needed to navigate this environment in order to try toequalise the position of women’s events.Read more: Women's World Cup: Fifa's threat to ban European broadcasters is not a skilful moveFifa’s ethical sponsorship struggleThe deal with Visit Saudi was first reported in early 2023 and quickly drew criticism around the discrepancy between Saudi Arabia’s record on women’s rights and Fifa’s stated aim to promote gender equality.Saudi Arabia has been heavily criticised by the international charity Human Rights Watch for thecountry’s record regarding rights of women and LGBTQ+ people. These reported actions contrastsignificantly with the gender progressive and inclusive underpinnings of the tournament crafted byFifa.Fifa president, Gianni Infantino. EPA-EFE/Etienne Laurent01/11/2023, 16:20 Women's World Cup: how better sports diplomacy can help women's football growhttps://theconversation.com/womens-world-cup-how-better-sports-diplomacy-can-help-womens-football-grow-207884 3/4Other countries with contested human rights records have previously invested in sport sponsorshipdeals, such as Visit Rwanda. However, Saudi Arabia and its investment strategies in sport have beenheavily scrutinised, most recently around men’s professional golf.By March, New Zealand and Australia’s football federation officials, national government officials andhigh-profile players had voiced concern and threatened protests if Fifa was to formalise thesponsorship deal – a form of sports diplomacy in its own right.After the subsequent U-turn by Fifa on the sponsorship deal, Infantino described the situation as “a storm in a teacup”.He claimed there was a double standard, as many nations – including Australia – have longstandingtrade deals with Saudi Arabia. He said: “For us, [nations] are all the same.”A balancing actBut there’s an argument that Fifa does need to be held to a different standard when brokeringeconomic deals, especially when it needs to expand global sponsorship to fund the growth of theWomen’s World Cup.For Infantino and Fifa, the Saudi deal represented economic growth and support for the women’sgame. But research has highlighted the need for international sports organisations to better hear andlisten to female voices.Not considering this when exploring Saudi Arabia as a sponsor, or managing different expectationsthrough sports diplomacy, meant the deal led not to growth for women’s football but rather a publicbacklash.That’s why effective sports diplomacy amid a delicate balance of economic growth, claims of equalityand global affairs needs to be a focus for Fifa if it is to smoothly navigate this historic journey forwomen’s football – and for equality.Crowds celebrate 25 days until the Fifa Women’s World Cup on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. EPA-EFE/Steven Markham01/11/2023, 16:20 Women's World Cup: how better sports diplomacy can help women's football growhttps://theconversation.com/womens-world-cup-how-better-sports-diplomacy-can-help-womens-football-grow-207884 4/4Looking for something good? 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Women’s World Cup: how better sports diplomacy can help women’s football grow

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Women’s World Cup: how better sports diplomacy can help women’s football grow

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