FIFA is pushing to secure up to $4.2bn (£3.1bn) from private investors for a new World Cup-linked venture within the next 100 days, despite a mounting backlash from major football bodies and the prospect of a World Cup boycott.
A confidential presentation seen by Sky News shows world football’s governing body wants binding investment offers for its new FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) subsidiary agreed by October, with funds transferred to FIFA by the end of that month.
That rapid timetable is being pursued even as President Gianni Infantino tells national associations that only a “consultation process” has begun and that no final decision has been taken on the project.
Cash offer to FAs at centre of push
Under documents circulated to the 211 member associations, each FA has been told it could access up to $86m (£65m) over the next 12 years if it signs up to the scheme by 19 September. Associations that do not commit by that date risk missing out on the funding.
In material outlining the FFE project, FIFA argues that the external financing would allow both the organisation and national FAs to “attract top talent with incentive-driven compensation” and pay “bigger salaries to staff”.
The FFE structure is based on a $20bn (£15bn) valuation, with FIFA planning to sell a 20% stake to investors for $4.2bn. According to the documents, investors would receive a share of revenues from FIFA’s most lucrative assets, including properties related to the World Cup.
The presentation states that by October FIFA wants “commitment letters submitted and long form agreements agreed; tender allocations made” so that “investors transfer funds to FIFA by end of October”.
UEFA fury and boycott discussions
The plan has provoked strong opposition from within the game, led by UEFA, which has condemned the partial sell-off of FIFA’s commercial rights.
UEFA said the proposal “crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross”, reflecting fears that core elements of the sport’s governance and finances are being handed to external investors with limited transparency.
Sky News reported that European associations have already started discussing a potential World Cup boycott in protest at the plans. The English Football Association said it was “deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance to get to this point, and the apparent substance and principles involved”.
While several European FAs are questioning the project, the president of the Czech Republic’s FA has told Sky News he supports the scheme, underlining divisions within the European game.
Asian confederation hits out at ‘unilateral’ move
Concerns are not limited to Europe. In a letter to members obtained by Sky News, Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said he had not “received any detailed governance, financial or legal analysis of the proposal and its potential repercussions, which is totally unacceptable”.
He added: “The AFC is deeply concerned that FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football, which are based on solidarity, cooperation and transparency.
“Moreover, such an initiative will not succeed without the support of all the confederations, which is not the case now.”
Sheikh Salman also criticised the short timeframe given to associations to decide: “The AFC is also surprised that the current timeline allows an extremely limited period for consideration of a proposal of such significance, when such decisions should never be rushed, and it is imperative that all factors be considered and debated.”
Fears over Infantino’s future role and competition expansion
The FFE project has been widely interpreted by some in the game as a way for Infantino to retain a highly influential and well-paid role overseeing World Cup-related business, even after he is required to step down as FIFA president in 2031 under existing term limits.
The sustainability of the $20bn FFE vehicle is understood to depend heavily on FIFA expanding its competitions. Materials shared with members describe FFE as “regulating and defining competitions” and refer to “competition enhancement” and “commercial optimisation will unlock the next era of growth”.
Infantino is seeking to increase the size of the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, despite the tournament having already been expanded by 16 teams for the edition won by Spain this month.
FIFA has engaged banking giant JP Morgan and investor Joshua Kushner – the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner – to work on the launch of FIFA Forward Enterprise.
Critics argue that both the accelerated timetable and the lack of detailed information on governance, legal structures and long-term implications risk undermining trust in football’s global administration at a time when the World Cup and its revenues are more valuable than ever.
