UEFA is set to hold an emergency meeting this week to discuss a possible boycott of the World Cup after a leaked FIFA plan to sell stakes in the tournament, according to Sky. The plan could be worth around £15billion and could make FIFA president Gianni Infantino millions.
The Times first reported on Tuesday afternoon that Infantino was considering selling parts of the tournament to private investors and forming a new company. FIFA later confirmed the plan in a hastily issued statement.
The Times reported that Infantino could become commissioner of the new company once his role at FIFA ends in 2031, a position estimates suggest could pay him more than $50million a year. The bank JPMorgan is said to be handling the process, and the Donald Trump administration is understood to have been consulted.
The proposal has drawn widespread criticism. One source told The Times it would be a "nuclear bomb" for the sport, while another said it would "potentially be much worse than the European Super League."
A boycott could mean World Cup holders Spain, along with semi-finalists England and France, would not take part in the competition. The English FA was reportedly completely unaware of the proposal before it became public.
UEFA hits out
UEFA, which has been critical of Infantino in recent times, responded almost immediately with a strongly worded statement.
"This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association."
"So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, 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 as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell."
A potential boycott could come as early as next year, with the Women's World Cup set to take place in Brazil next summer. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin previously made clear, five years ago, that European nations would not participate in a World Cup held every two years instead of the current four.
Infantino defended the plan, saying: "Our next stage of growth needs a structure built for it, one where the commercial side of the game operates as a focused, dedicated business, with its value shared more and better all around the world."
He added: "Every FIFA Member Association should have an opportunity to seek a fair share of the available funding to shape its own future, deciding for itself rather than relying on others. This is about the democratisation of football worldwide."
Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared, was reported to be one of the potential investors.
Blatter and Burnham react
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter condemned the reported plan on X, writing: "The close relationship between the FIFA President and the US President has reached a financial dimension that is deeply damaging football."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham also criticised FIFA on social media. "No one has the right to sell our game," he wrote.
"Let me say this very directly. Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine."
"The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone's to sell."
"Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out. Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will."
The financial details
If the move goes ahead, the global football calendar could be affected, with the Men's and Women's World Cup possibly expanded or held more regularly than every four years, and the Club World Cup facing similar changes.
Under the proposal, all 211 FIFA member associations would receive stakes making up 20 per cent of the total company, worth around $20million (£15million) each, a figure larger than many associations' annual revenues. Associations would have the option to sell their stakes to raise funds. FIFA would retain a majority stake, with private investors taking minority stakes.
FIFA is a not-for-profit organisation with tax-free status at its headquarters in Switzerland. For the 2022-2026 cycle, its revenue is expected to be around $15billion (£11.3billion), much of it from this summer's World Cup.
The Times reported that the blueprint has been discussed among senior FIFA figures and potential investors, who have signed non-disclosure agreements. Some potential investors are understood to have spoken internally about "buying FIFA."
Figures close to the plan reportedly see Infantino's proposed new role as comparable to the NFL, whose commissioner Roger Goodell earns about $64million a year.
Infantino under pressure
The reports come as Infantino is already under fire following the World Cup, including over US visa restrictions that affected supporters and officials from many countries and high ticket prices. His links with Trump also drew scrutiny after Folarin Balogun's red card was suspended following a phone call from the US president to the Swiss administrator.
When contacted for comment, FIFA confirmed plans to launch a new body called FIFA Forward Enterprise, describing it as a "controlled subsidiary consolidating FIFA's commercial and event operations." FIFA said it would retain sole control of the new body and exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, the match calendar, and all regulatory and sporting decisions, and said the move would increase funding available to all 211 member associations.
Daily Mail Sport also contacted the White House for comment.
