Doctors have again criticised world football bosses at FIFA for having Coca-Cola as sponsors of a major tournament.

Just before the FIFA Club World Cup kicked off on Sunday 15 June, Dr Chris van Tulleken (from Operation Ouch!) and Professor Carlos Monteiro wrote an article in medical journal The BMJ. They were taking aim at Coca-Cola and other sugary drinks companies for “profiting off players and fans while contributing to a global health crisis.”

They say their biggest concern is the influence on the many children who watch football. “With their flashy labels, bright colours and celebrity endorsements, these drinks foster unhealthy eating habits and consumer behaviour that can last a lifetime,” the doctors say.

Sugary drinks are linked to tooth decay, obesity, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease and cardiovascular disease (problems with the heart and blood vessels).

But the doctors say that FIFA is allowing Coca-Cola “to ‘sportswash’ away the negative health effects of its product by linking it with athletic achievement and sportsmanship.”

Although the BMJ article doesn’t mention Coca-Cola’s diet drinks, experts say that these can still cause tooth decay because of how acidic they are. And although the evidence is very mixed, the World Health Organization says that artificial sweeteners don’t help with weight control in the long term either.