FIFA said on Friday it would push ahead with a consultation process aimed at bringing private capital into the World Cup and its other tournaments, defying a sweeping boycott threat from UEFA and mounting opposition from confederations around the world.
The governing body had announced earlier in the week that it planned to create a $20 billion subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise to oversee the commercial operations and management of its tournaments, with external investors offered stakes of up to 20 percent. The brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is reportedly among those linked to the proposal.
FIFA said the planned consultation had been disrupted by inaccurate media reporting and that it would proceed so that every member association could cast its vote on the basis of facts. The body insisted that nobody was selling football and that such an idea was not something FIFA would ever contemplate.
FIFA added that while every party had the right to express opposition and seek further clarification, no single entity could claim to speak for all 211 member federations worldwide. Each association, the body said, should have the opportunity to review the proposal and have a say in shaping its own future, which it described as FIFA's democratic principles.
UEFA Votes to Boycott; England FA Backs It
UEFA, which had accused FIFA of putting the soul of the sport up for sale, voted on Thursday to boycott all FIFA tournaments. All 55 of its member associations joined the position, which stated that none of them would participate in FIFA competitions for as long as the plan remained active, unless it was fully withdrawn and binding guarantees were provided that it would not return in the future.
The English Football Association aligned itself with that stance, saying the World Cup belongs to football and will always belong to football.
CONCACAF Rejects the Plan but Stops Short of Boycott
CONCACAF, the confederation covering North and Central America and the Caribbean, rejected the plan following an emergency conference call. The confederation raised serious concerns about the absence of proper institutional processes, the tight deadline imposed on member associations, and the fact that the proposal had not passed through FIFA's own governing bodies.
CONCACAF also questioned why private capital was needed at all given that FIFA held significant financial reserves following what it described as the most profitable World Cup in the organisation's history. While CONCACAF did not adopt UEFA's boycott threat, at least not immediately, Sky News reported that internally a majority of its 41 member federations had lost or were gradually losing confidence in Infantino.
FIFPro Calls for Transparency and an End to Ultimatums
FIFPro, the global federation of professional footballers' unions, issued a statement describing the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal as part of broader discussions about the governance and commercial development of international football. The union said initiatives of this scale required transparency, clear processes, and meaningful cooperation with those who had a legitimate stake in the future of the professional game. It called on FIFA to abandon what it characterised as an approach based on ultimatums.
FIFPro Europe issued a separate statement expressing deep concern about turning the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments into investable assets for private capital. It said it was particularly troubling that a plan of this magnitude had been developed largely behind closed doors without meaningful consultation with those most affected.
Infantino's Position Under Pressure
According to Sky News, at least 90 of the 211 national federations are now opposed to the proposal, a total that grew after CONCACAF added its public rejection to the already clear opposition from UEFA. The same reporting indicated that a growing number of figures within international football believed Infantino might not be able to survive the crisis, with support for him declining rapidly.
Discussions about what comes next have already begun, according to the same sources, with CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani emerging as one of the names that could seek the leadership of the global federation should the situation develop further. It would be the most serious challenge to Infantino's authority since he took the presidency in 2016.
September Deadline and Funding Threat
Under the plan, all 211 federations are being asked to decide by September 19 whether they will join the new venture. Those that do not risk losing funding of $86 million over the next twelve years, according to documents cited by Sky News.
FIFA argued in its presentation to federations that FIFA Forward Enterprise would manage commercial activities and event operations with the goal of increasing revenue. The body said its tournaments were commercially underutilised compared to the Premier League and major American sports leagues, and pointed to the need for loan financing to invest in digital platforms and rights.
A reader poll published by Sky News found that 93 percent of respondents supported UEFA's decision to pursue a boycott if the privatisation plan went ahead, with only 5 percent saying a boycott was not the right answer.
