Report: Sony to end sponsorship with FIFA citing lack of transparency

Sony has reportedly become the latest, and biggest, sponsor that intends to discontinue its deal with FIFA.

The decision was made amid concerns about the football governing body's lack of transparency regarding the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, among other restructuring initiatives within the Japanese electronics company, according to the Wall Street Journal's Eric Pfanner.

Pfanner goes on to state that one of Sony's concerns is the negativity surrounding FIFA in recent years, specifically the firestorm related to the release of FIFA's investigation into the World Cup bidding process and its decision to keep the findings out of the public eye.

"The existing contract with Sony runs until Dec. 31, 2014 and we are currently in discussions with the brand," a spokesperson for FIFA told the WSJ, courtesy of ESPNFC.

The news comes weeks after Emirates airlines decided to end its relationship with FIFA because of similar concerns, becoming the first major sponsor to do so.