FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing one of the biggest political battles of his decade in charge after unveiling a controversial plan to sell minority stakes in the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup and other major tournaments to private investors.
The proposal would see FIFA create a new commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), valued at around $20 billion, with up to a 20% stake offered to outside investors. FIFA says the move could raise as much as $4.2 billion, while the organisation would retain full control over football governance, competition rules and the international calendar.
Infantino has presented the plan as a way to spread football’s wealth more evenly across the globe.
Under the proposal, each of FIFA’s 211 member associations would be eligible to receive a one-off payment of up to $20 million from 2027 to invest in infrastructure, grassroots football, coaching, women’s football and national teams if the project is approved.
However, the announcement has sparked an immediate backlash from across the football world.
UEFA launched a scathing attack on the proposal, accusing FIFA of attempting to commercialise the game’s most treasured competitions.
The European governing body said the plan “crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross” and warned that “the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade.”
The controversy has widened an already strained relationship between FIFA and UEFA, with tensions having grown in recent years over the expanded Club World Cup, competition scheduling and governance issues.
Some reports have suggested European football authorities are even discussing the possibility of a future World Cup boycott if the proposal moves forward, although no formal decision has been taken.
Political concerns have also emerged because the proposed investment group is expected to be led by Thrive Eternal, a company founded by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump.
The deal is also being advised by investment bank JPMorgan, while former Liberty Media chief Greg Maffei is acting as a commercial adviser to FIFA.
Infantino has built increasingly close ties with Trump in recent years, a relationship that has drawn renewed scrutiny following the investment proposal.
Despite the criticism, Infantino appears confident he has enough support to push the plan through.
Many member associations in Africa, Asia and the Americas have benefited from increased FIFA funding during his presidency and stand to receive substantial financial rewards under the new proposal. Since FIFA decisions require only a simple majority of its 211 member associations, the FIFA president is widely seen as being in a strong political position.
Supporters argue the initiative would unlock billions of dollars that could be reinvested into football development worldwide.
Critics, however, fear private investors could eventually influence commercial decisions surrounding football’s biggest tournaments and argue that FIFA risks sacrificing long-term control in exchange for immediate financial gains.
The proposal still requires approval from FIFA’s member associations and the FIFA Council before it can proceed.
If adopted, it would represent one of the most significant commercial transformations in the history of world football and further cement Infantino’s influence over the sport’s future.
