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Football·Trade & Economy

FIFA plans to sell World Cup stakes in new privatisation scheme, drawing fierce UEFA opposition[Updated]

Wednesday, 29 July 2026, 06:10 · 3 min read
Updates
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FIFA has officially abandoned the FFE proposal, with Infantino announcing late Friday that the plan "will not proceed," citing divisions that were "no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place." The withdrawal drew a positive response from the Asian Football Confederation and the Mexican Football Federation, both of which welcomed the decision. The controversy also sparked internal dissent within FIFA itself, with chief operating officer Kevin Lamour publicly declaring the scheme was "a project of one person" and stating that FIFA's own leadership had been misled, while Infantino's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned over his opposition to the plan. South America's CONMEBOL had earlier on Friday taken a neutral stance, requesting further details on the proposal's scope and governance without endorsing or rejecting it, making it the only confederation not to have taken a firm position before the plan was scrapped. Separately, the European Parliament moved to summon Infantino for a hearing on transparency and democratic accountability.

Sources
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UEFA's 55 member associations unanimously voted at Thursday's emergency meeting to boycott all FIFA competitions — including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup — for as long as the FFE proposal remains active, with the body declaring "the World Cup is not for sale." CONCACAF's 41 member associations also rejected the plan, citing concerns over due process, though they stopped short of threatening a boycott; the Mexican Football Federation separately said it had not yet made a final decision and would await round-table discussions organised by FIFA. The Asian Football Confederation issued a warning letter to its 47 member associations stating the proposal could never succeed without the backing of all six regional confederations. Africa's governing body CAF said its president Patrice Motsepe would convene a meeting of the Executive Committee next week to determine the continent's position, while encouraging member associations to participate in FIFA's consultation process.

Sources
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino sought to soften the backlash on Wednesday, releasing a video in which he described the FFE proposal as "an opportunity but not an obligation" and framed it as a "democratic consultation" requiring approval from FIFA's 211 member associations. Reports emerged that Infantino had written to those associations offering each $40 million if they back the plan, with a sign-up deadline of September 19. Opposition broadened beyond UEFA, with the Dutch football association KNVB issuing a sharp rebuke from its chairman Frank Paauw, who said "a line has been reached and crossed," and UEFA convened an emergency meeting of all 55 of its member associations for Thursday. Investment bank J.P. Morgan has also been named as a financial participant in the proposed structure alongside lead investor Thrive Capital.

Sources
Original story

FIFA has announced plans to create a commercial subsidiary that would sell minority stakes in the World Cup and other major tournaments to private investors, triggering an immediate and forceful backlash from UEFA, European football's governing body. The proposal, revealed on Tuesday, would establish a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), valued at approximately $20 billion, into which the commercial rights and operations of the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup would be consolidated. By selling up to 20 percent of FFE to external investors, FIFA aims to raise as much as $4.2 billion, which it says would be reinvested in football development worldwide.

If approved, the proposed investor group is expected to be led by Thrive Eternal, a venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner — brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. FIFA is also working with JPMorgan, the United States' largest bank, on the plan. FIFA President Gianni Infantino framed the initiative as a tool for democratising global football, arguing that each of FIFA's 211 member associations could receive a one-off capital injection of up to $20 million. FIFA insists it would retain majority control of FFE and exclusive authority over football governance, competition rules, the international match calendar, and all regulatory decisions. The plan still requires approval by a vote of FIFA's 211 member nations, with a congress in Morocco in March seen as a likely venue.

UEFA responded with unusual sharpness. "This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross," the body said in a statement. "The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell." Reports suggest European nations are considering a boycott of the World Cup if the plans proceed, with UEFA said to have convened an emergency meeting. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a former sports minister and long-time football administrator, added his voice to the criticism, writing on X: "The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone's to sell. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out." Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter also weighed in, warning that the close relationship between Infantino and Trump had "taken on a financial dimension that does serious damage to football."

Football finance experts warn the structure of FFE could create pressure to expand and commercialise FIFA competitions beyond current limits. Because private shareholders would expect returns, analysts suggest there could be significant lobbying for a 64-team World Cup, a more frequent tournament cycle, or winter editions — all of which would further squeeze an already congested international calendar and potentially threaten UEFA's own lucrative competitions, including the Champions League. One senior English football executive described the announcement as the biggest story in the sport since the failed European Super League proposal in 2021.

The privatisation announcement lands at a sensitive moment for FIFA, which is already facing scrutiny over its relationship with the Trump administration following controversies at the recently concluded 48-team World Cup hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The involvement of a Kushner-linked firm as the expected lead investor is unlikely to ease those concerns. While the plan offers tangible financial benefits to smaller football federations for whom $20 million represents a transformative sum, the lack of transparency over who stands to profit — and how much — has united critics across the sport in opposition.

Sources
Al Jazeera English — FIFA proposes plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, angering UEFA ↗︎BBC World — Uefa and PM criticise Infantino World Cup plan ↗︎NOS Sport — FIFA-voorzitter Infantino wil aandelen WK verkopen, UEFA reageert woedend ↗︎NZZ — Die Fussball-WM geht in die Verlängerung – nun kommen Untersuchungen wegen Ungereimtheiten in Gang ↗︎
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This article was automatically compiled by AI from the sources above. It may contain inaccuracies. Always read the original sources for the full context.