Five top FIFA sponsors -- A-B InBev, adidas, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Visa -- published an open letter yesterday “urging global soccer’s governing body to enact credible reforms, days before a key meeting to finalize proposed changes to the organization,” according to Tariq Panja of BLOOMBERG NEWS. The sponsors directed their letter to FIFA’s "decision-making executive committee, which will this week decide what reforms to take to the group’s 209 member associations at an emergency congress in February.” The sponsors, who typically pay about $100M per four-year World Cup cycle, have “made independent oversight of FIFA’s reform process one of their primary demands, although so far, the organization has resisted.” They also “called for greater transparency, accountability, respect for human rights, integrity, leadership and gender equality at FIFA.” Some of the sponsors’ other demands “directly relate to the conditions of migrant workers” at ‘22 World Cup host Qatar (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 12/1). The AP’s Rob Harris noted sponsors were “originally promised places on the FIFA reform committee.” But “instead of being invited into meetings discussing the overhaul of the organization, they have been offered seats only on an advisory board which is yet to be appointed.” The sponsors in the letter said strengthening FIFA's governance is “just one step toward creating a credible future” of an organization under the temporary leadership of Issa Hayatou while President Sepp Blatter is suspended. Hyundai and Gazprom “are not signatories to the letter” (AP, 12/1).
