Aramco and FIFA Announce Global Partnership

FILES) This picture shows Aramco tower at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh on April 16, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)
FILES) This picture shows Aramco tower at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh on April 16, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)
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Aramco and FIFA Announce Global Partnership

FILES) This picture shows Aramco tower at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh on April 16, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)
FILES) This picture shows Aramco tower at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh on April 16, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)

Saudi Aramco signed a four-year global partnership with professional football association FIFA, according to an Aramco statement.

The company becomes FIFA’s major worldwide partner exclusive in the energy category, with sponsorship rights for multiple events including the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 26™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™, said the statement on Thursday.

The agreement, which runs until the end of 2027, builds on a shared commitment to innovation and development, and will combine football’s unique global reach with Aramco’s history of championing innovation and community engagement.

“Through this partnership with FIFA, we aim to contribute to football development and harness the power of sport to make an impact around the globe,” said Aramco President and CEO Amin H. Nasser. “It reflects our ambition to enable vibrant communities and extends our backing of sport as a platform for growth.”

"Our existing relationship with the Saudi football team Al-Qadsiah, our support for women’s golf through the Aramco Team Series, and our backing of F1 in schools each demonstrate the possibilities of such partnerships to create pathways for opportunity, positively impact society, and promote development at the grassroots level,” he said.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the partnership will assist the soccer body to successfully deliver its flagship tournaments over the next four years.

“Aramco has a strong track record of supporting world-class events, but also a focus on developing grassroots sport initiatives. We look forward to collaborating with them on a variety of initiatives over the coming years,” he added.

Aramco also intends to work with FIFA to drive innovation, identifying opportunities to deploy the company’s expertise and technologies in the delivery of football events globally. This includes initiatives that aim to provide new and innovative ways for football fans to engage with FIFA’s events, the statement said.



West Ham Hires Former Chelsea Coach Graham Potter

FILE - Chelsea's head coach Graham Potter celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Chelsea at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, March 11, 2023.(AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
FILE - Chelsea's head coach Graham Potter celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Chelsea at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, March 11, 2023.(AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
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West Ham Hires Former Chelsea Coach Graham Potter

FILE - Chelsea's head coach Graham Potter celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Chelsea at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, March 11, 2023.(AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
FILE - Chelsea's head coach Graham Potter celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Chelsea at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, March 11, 2023.(AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)

West Ham hired Graham Potter as manager on Thursday, a day after Julen Lopetegui was fired.
Potter has been out of management since he was fired by Chelsea in 2023 after just seven months in the job at Stamford Bridge.
Potter takes over a team that has won only three of its last 11 games and is 14th in the standings — seven points above the relegation zone, The Associated Press reported.
Former Real Madrid and Spain coach Lopetegui paid the price for that poor run when his departure was confirmed on Wednesday — around eight months after he was hired to replace David Moyes.
Potter enjoyed an impressive rise after beginning his coaching career at Ostersunds in Sweden in 2011.
He took over at Swansea in 2018 and by 2022 was in charge of Premier League giant Chelsea after a stint a Brighton.
But his reputation took a hit at Chelsea, which was undergoing a turbulent period following the takeover by US owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital and a spend of $630 million on new signings. He lasted just six months after a run of just seven wins from 22 league games.