FIFA has announced plans to sell minority stakes in the World Cup and other major events to private investors, triggering a strong reaction from European football’s governing body UEFA.
Under the proposal, FIFA would create a new $20 billion subsidiary, called FIFA Forward Enterprise, to manage the World Cup and other competitions.
The world football governing body said it would keep majority control of the new entity while offering external investors minority stakes to raise up to $4.2 billion.
The plan still requires approval from FIFA’s 211 member associations before it can move forward.
FIFA said the potential investment group would be led by a vehicle founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
FIFA says funds will support global football growth
FIFA said the move would help increase investment in football development worldwide, with net benefits reinvested into expanding access and strengthening participation.
“Football is the world’s most popular sport,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, adding that the organisation wants the growth of the game to benefit all regions.
FIFA also said it would continue to control football governance, competitions, match calendars and regulatory decisions despite outside investment.
UEFA rejects idea of football as an asset
UEFA strongly criticised the proposal, saying it crosses a boundary that football’s governing bodies should not pass.
“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade,” UEFA said, questioning the transparency of the plan and who would financially benefit from it.
UEFA added that football does not belong to any single organisation, saying it represents players, clubs, supporters and national associations.
UK PM joins criticism
The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham also criticised the proposal, arguing that the World Cup should not be treated as a commercial product.
“The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell,” Burnham wrote on X.
The proposal has deepened existing tensions between FIFA and UEFA over the future direction and commercialisation of global football.
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