AT AN Ireland WNT Media Day on Monday, Kyra Carusa spoke of her concerns about football’s growing relationship with the state of Saudi Arabia.

In October last year, Carusa was one of over 100 professional female footballers to send an open letter urging the football governing body, Fifa, to end its partnership with oil and gas conglomerate Saudi Aramco.

Fellow current and former Ireland internationals Diane Caldwell, Lily Agg, Sinead Farrelly, Ciara Grant and Emma Beckett also put their name to the letter.

Last December, Saudi Arabia was confirmed to host the 2035 edition of the men’s World Cup, while the country are also hoping to be the home of the women’s tournament the following year.

Critics of the country, such as Amnesty International, have accused it of violating several human rights, including discrimination against women and LBGTQI+ individuals.

Saudi Arabia denies these accusations and says it protects its national security through its laws.

“We urge Fifa to reconsider this partnership and replace Saudi Aramco with alternative sponsors whose values align with gender equality, human rights and the safe future of our planet,” read part of the players’ letter, which can be viewed in full here.

In response, a Fifa spokesperson said: “Fifa values its partnership with Aramco and its many others commercial and rights partners.”

Speaking this week, Carusa said the players themselves had yet to receive a response from the governing body and described the letter as “important”.

The 29-year-old added: “I think on a moral standpoint, when we are on these platforms and the people we choose to work with and align with, their core values, [it is important] we agree in that sense of what we’re funding, and what we’re part of, and what we want to put on a pedestal.

“It’s important to recognise that there is accountability to be held. Just because you want to put women’s players on a pedestal doesn’t take over the fact of what is being pushed or an agenda that’s being pushed — the fact that women aren’t necessarily a priority.

“I don’t think that it gets to band-aid it or leverage or mask the fact that there are such deep issues or again, moral values that are quite literally the opposite.”

Carusa also agreed when it was put to her that the deafening silence towards women in sport was unsettling.

“Unfortunately, you see it in politics, in a lot of different places. The biggest thing is still to control what we control and be able to recognise that we are on a pedestal and there are voices behind players as well. 

“I think of any major changes and civil rights movements and whatnot [are inspired by] massive protests. There is always going to be the idea that there were those that came before that were silenced, there were those that came before who weren’t recognised or written down in history, but that doesn’t mean don’t [protest] it.”

There were similar issues around the men’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar, though plans for some teams to wear a One Love armband to show their support for LBGTQI+ people and human rights were ultimately quashed.

Would Carusa and co consider a similar initiative in comparable circumstances?

“It’s definitely a bridge to cross and discussion to have as a team and amongst us as individuals if we were to get to that point.

“But I’d say that for myself it’s important to recognise that it needs to be said and it can’t be overlooked. It’s something I would discuss with my team and heavily push for, yes.”