Despite claims that sports and politics don’t mix, football seems to be an increasingly prominent feature of global governance. The 2022 FIFA World Cup was a glaring example of sportswashing– the use of sports to enhance reputation or influence. Some of football’s biggest club teams are financed by sovereign wealth funds or energy drink companies, while the sport’s biggest stars are plying their trade in the Saudi Pro League. The trend of state-sponsored politicization seems to be spreading to the women’s game; concerns are being raised ahead of this summer’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand.