FIFA issued a defiant statement on Friday insisting that nobody is selling soccer, refusing to withdraw its controversial proposal to bring private investors into the World Cup’s commercial operations despite rejection from two major confederations.
The plan, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), was first reported by The Times and the Financial Times on Tuesday. It would spin off FIFA’s commercial arm into a new subsidiary valued at roughly $20 billion, with private investors taking a 20 per cent stake. The core investor is a New York-based firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. According to CBC Sports, FIFA President Gianni Infantino wrote to all 211 member associations offering each $20 million over four years — double their current allocation — if they approve the FFE structure, with projected total funding of $86 million each through 2038.
UEFA Calls an Emergency Meeting and Threatens Full Boycott
UEFA responded with unusual speed and severity. Following an urgent online meeting of its 55 member nations, the European body announced it would not participate in any FIFA competitions, with the Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland — scheduled to begin September 5 — the first event at risk. UEFA declared that some things are simply too important to sell and that the FIFA World Cup belongs to football and will never be for sale as long as Europe has a voice. It also described the episode as a profound failure of leadership and an abdication of FIFA’s custodial duty. This aligns with broader concerns analysed in UEFA’s Boycott Threat Reveals How Infantino Misjudged the Room.
CONCACAF Rejects the Plan Without a Boycott Pledge
CONCACAF followed with its own rejection on Thursday after an emergency meeting of the presidents of its 41 member associations. The North and Central American and Caribbean confederation stopped short of a boycott commitment but flatly rejected the FFE proposal. Its statement cited deep concerns over the lack of due process, an artificially short deadline, and the absence of review by FIFA’s own governance bodies. CONCACAF also questioned the need for outside investment at all, given that the 2026 World Cup had been the most profitable in FIFA’s history. The confederation affirmed that football’s greatest asset must remain in the hands of the football family. For further context, see AFC Opposition Leaves FIFA’s World Cup Privatisation Plan on the Brink.
FIFA Presses On With Consultation
Ninety-six of FIFA’s 211 member associations have now publicly opposed the plan. That combined opposition from CONCACAF and UEFA represents a significant bloc, and it has fuelled questions about Infantino’s previously secure grip on the FIFA presidency ahead of a scheduled election in March in Rabat, Morocco. The deadline for presidential candidates to declare is November 18.
Despite all of this, FIFA has not pulled the proposal. According to The Mirror, the consultation period will continue as planned. FIFA’s Friday statement maintained its position while declining to withdraw the plan from consideration.
