Doctors call on FIFA to drop sugary drink sponsors

Football's governing body FIFA should drop Coca-Cola as sponsors of the 2025 Club World Cup which begins this week, urge doctors in The BMJ today.

Dr Chris van Tulleken at University College London and Professor Carlos Monteiro at the University of São Paulo, say Coca-Cola and other sugary drinks companies have exploited the world's most popular sport for commercial gain - profiting off players and fans while contributing to a global health crisis.

FIFA now has an opportunity to lead by example and send a powerful message - that health supersedes corporate sponsorship, they write.

As FIFA's official sponsor since 1978, Coca-Cola has leveraged its massive platform to promote sugary drinks to billions, in spite of the demonstrable link between sugary drinks and type 2 diabetes, dental caries, obesity and many other negative health outcomes, they explain.

New research has linked sugary drink consumption to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease across 184 countries, they add. These products are ultra-processed, and nutrient-poor, offering no nutritional benefit while fueling diet-related diseases.

Yet, despite mounting evidence of harm, Coca-Cola and other sugary drinks producers continue to buy partnerships with sports organisations, securing influence and unrestricted access while putting public health at risk.

"By embedding itself in football and other beloved sports, Coca-Cola isn't just sponsoring the game; it's normalising excessive sugar consumption, contradicting the principles of fitness and health that sport represents," they write. "Perhaps most concerning is their appeal to children, who are particularly susceptible to the allure of sugary drinks and their pervasive marketing."

They acknowledge that this behavior is not unique to a single company and point to influential campaigns like "Kick Big Soda Out of Sport!" which have ignited a movement to end these pernicious sponsorships.

But they argue that FIFA, as the global ambassador and governing body of football, has cosigned this misleading behaviour and continued to profit from the partnership. In doing so, it allows Coca-Cola to sportswash away the negative health effects of its product by linking it with athletic achievement and sportsmanship.

"We can't ignore the irrefutable link between sugary drink consumption and poor health," they conclude. "By ending its sponsorship deal with Coca Cola, FIFA could send a powerful message - that health supersedes corporate sponsorship. Big Soda has exploited the world's most popular sport for commercial gain, and in this moment, FIFA has an opportunity to lead by example."