World football is facing one of its biggest institutional upheavals. FIFA, under the leadership of Gianni Infantino, is considering an ambitious and controversial project to sell minority stakes in its flagship competitions, such as the Men’s and Women’s World Cup and the Club World Cup, to private investors.
The initiative involves the creation of a new company called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would be responsible for the operational delivery of these tournaments.
According to sources close to the process consulted by The Times, the British media outlet that revealed the information, this company would have an initial value of approximately 20 billion dollars. The scheme foresees that FIFA will retain the majority stake, while between 20% and 30% would be sold to private investors for about 1 billion dollars.
Additionally, the remaining 20% would be distributed among the 211 member associations of the entity, giving each a stake valued at around 20 million dollars, which they could keep or sell to generate direct income.
Partnerships with the United States and Infantino’s role
At the center of the negotiations is the firm Thrive Capital, led by Joshua Kushner, younger brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to FIFA, the firm JP Morgan acts as financial advisor on the project and, as confirmed by the federation to the cited newspaper, is not an investor.
Various sources indicate that Infantino could assume the role of commissioner or CEO of the new entity after finishing his presidency at the company, which is expected to last until 2031 after being re-elected.
In response, FIFA told the British media The Times: “This has never been discussed. However, the FIFA president and FIFA administration will have and must have leadership roles in this entity, if approved, to always maintain control of any FIFA subsidiary in accordance with FIFA statutes and regulations for the benefit of the member associations.”
Likewise, the football governing body stated that the proposal will soon be presented to the member associations and the FIFA Council, who will be the only ones responsible for making the final decisions.
“The FIFA president and administration have the duty to oversee the development of this project, in which external investors only hold a minority stake, and not in FIFA itself, but in a subsidiary of it. For FIFA, nothing changes,” they added.
Strong reactions in Europe and boycott warnings
The project has sparked immediate rejection from leaders and international organizations, who warn about the risks of commercializing the governance of the sport and the pressure to alter the global calendar with more frequent or expanded tournaments.
Reactions have been swift:
• UEFA: The body governing European football issued a strong statement saying “this crosses a line that football governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes this very seriously. So should every national football association. So should all stakeholders: leagues, clubs, players, fans, governments, and everyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade, especially with zero transparency about who profits financially. None of us owns football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”
• Andy Burnham (Prime Minister): Expressed his rejection via the social network X stating that “football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who are on the sidelines week after week, rain or shine. The World Cup is not a product. It is the best competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell. Dress the deal however you want. Once you have sold a part, you have sold it. Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and always will.”
• Sepp Blatter (former FIFA president): Also spoke out on X stating that “the close relationship between the FIFA president and the President of the United States has reached a financial dimension that is deeply damaging football. No one has the right to sell our game.”
Given the seriousness of the matter, European associations plan to hold emergency meetings to coordinate a common stance, not ruling out drastic options such as a possible boycott of the World Cup if partial privatization goes ahead.
*Article developed with AI support and reviewed by a journalist.