What's happened
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, confirmed that talks had taken place with Saudi Arabia's tourism arm but no contract had been signed.
Why it matters
The decision not to progress the sponsorship was praised by human rights and football organisations after concerns were raised about Saudi Arabia's human rights record, and oppression of women and LGBTQ+ people.
What the papers say
The Guardian, Sky News, The Independent
How we got here
Initial reports that an agreement was in place between FIFA and Saudi Arabia were criticised by several leading players, while the tournament co-hosts said they would not be comfortable with the partnership due to human rights concerns.
More on these topics
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FIFA is a non-profit organization which describes itself as an international governing body of association football, fútsal, beach soccer, and efootball. It is the highest governing body of football.
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Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a country in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula.
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Giovanni Vincenzo "Gianni" Infantino is a Swiss–Italian football administrator and the current president of FIFA. He was elected President of FIFA during the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress on 26 February 2016.