At the FIFA Congress in Kigali in Rwanda, Gianni Infantino, re-elected by acclamation to a fresh term as President, said: "I can clarify that there were discussions with Visit Saudi.

"At the end this discussion didn’t lead into a contract.

"How do you say it?

"It was a storm in a water glass - a storm in a teacup.

"“There is also a double standard here which I really don't understand.

"Australian companies export trade to Saudi Arabia worth $2.25 billion (£1.85 billion/€1.10 billion) each year and this doesn't seem to be a problem or an issue."

The proposed deal with Visit Saudi was announced in January, with FIFA revealing that it was close to agreement.

The Governments and World Cup organisers in both host nations - Australia and New Zealand - questioned if a proposed deal with Visit Saudi would be appropriate for the women's tournament, especially given the Gulf nation’s notorious record on women's rights.

In February, members of the Australian women’s team, the Matildas, were said to be ready to stage protests if the Visit Saudi deal was signed off.

Among the players who spoke out on the issue was Arsenal’s Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema, who told FIFA it should be "deeply ashamed" for even considering such a deal.

Infantino, who announced a $150 million (£124 million/€140 million) prize fund for this year’s Women’s World Cup - a 300 per cent rise from the 2019 tournament in France - claimed he did not see anything wrong with taking sponsorship from countries such as Saudi Arabia.

"FIFA is an organisation of 211 countries," he said.

"For us they are all the same.

"There wouldn’t be anything bad in making sponsorships from Saudi Arabia, China, United States of America, Brazil or India as far as we are concerned…

"There is no issue and no contract.

"There are discussions and, of course, we want to see how we can involve Saudi sponsors in women’s football generally, how we can involve Saudi sponsors in men football, or we can involve Qatari sponsors in women’s football and men’s football, and all other sponsors from all over the world."

The decision to drop the proposed deal with Visit Saudi was welcomed by Football Australia’s chief executive, James Johnson.

"Equality, diversity and inclusion are really deep commitments for Football Australia and we’ll continue to work hard with FIFA to ensure the Women’s World Cup is shaped in this light," he said.

Earlier, Infantino targeted broadcasters, some of them public service channels funded by taxpayers, who he said offered up to 100 times less for rights to the women’s tournament.

"Well, offer us 20 per cent less, 50 per cent less, but not 100 per cent less,” he said in closing remarks to the Congress.

Infantino set a target of equal prize money for men and women at their next World Cups, in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

The 32 men’s teams shared $440 million (£363 million/€413 million) at last year’s World Cup in Qatar.