Medical Professionals Call for FIFA to Terminate Coca-Cola Sponsorship
Rewriting the Article:
FIFA's sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola is under the gun, with experts rallying against it for the upcoming Club World Cup. In a bold stance, medical professionals Chris van Tulleken and Carlos Monteiro, in a piece for the esteemed British Medical Journal (BMJ), slam Coca-Cola and similar sugary drink peddlers for profiteering off the backs of athletes and fans while fueling a global health crisis. FIFA's response? Crickets so far.
" embedding itself in the world of football and other popular sports, Coca-Cola isn't just sponsoring the game, but normalizing excessive sugar intake - a practice that directly contradicts the fitness and health ideals that sports embodies," they argue in their article. They further express concern about the appeal to the youth, as children are particularly susceptible to the lure of sugary drinks and their incessant marketing.
"We can't ignore the inescapable connection between sugary drink consumption and deteriorated health," the authors state. "By cutting ties with Coca-Cola, FIFA could send a powerful message that health takes precedence over corporate sponsorship."
This isn't the first dance between FIFA and Coca-Cola; they've been partners for many years, and Coca-Cola has backed every football World Cup since 1978. The Club World Cup in the United States kicks off this Saturday (local time).
It's worth noting that the partnership between FIFA and Coca-Cola has been under scrutiny for quite some time, given the health risks associated with sugary drinks, such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease[1][2]. The "Kick Big Soda Out" campaign has gained traction, urging FIFA to drop Coca-Cola as a sponsor, especially considering the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. This movement asserts that the partnership undermines FIFA's health and fair play commitments, and essentially amounts to "sportswashing" by promoting products linked to health problems[1]. However, FIFA has yet to announce any plans to sever ties with Coca-Cola, suggesting that the deal remains in place for now.
- The partnership between FIFA and Coca-Cola, a corporation known for promoting sugary drinks, contradicts the health-and-wellness ideals that sports, such as fitness-and-exercise and sports like football, uphold.
- Amidst concerns about the negative health impacts of sugary drinks like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, the campaign "Kick Big Soda Out" is advocating for FIFA to end its sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola, particularly with the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
- Given the European leagues and competitions, such as the Champions League, also feature Coca-Cola as a sponsor, ending this partnership could send a strong message emphasizing the importance of nutrition and health over corporate sponsorship in the realm of science and sports.
- As Coca-Cola continues its sponsorship of the Club World Cup, starting this Saturday (local time), medical professionals, including Chris van Tulleken and Carlos Monteiro, remains critical of the corporation's influence on sports and the potential harm it creates for athletes and youth.
