Fifa has insisted its proposed “Fifa Forward Enterprise” scheme will not amount to selling off the sport, as world football’s governing body moved to rebut fierce criticism led by Uefa and other confederations.
In a detailed statement, Fifa said it remained “fully committed” to an open, democratic consultation process with all 211 member associations and blamed “incorrect media reports” for derailing the timetable of planned talks.
Several continental confederations, most prominently Uefa, have come out strongly against the proposal and some have warned they will boycott all Fifa competitions if the project goes ahead in its current form.
Fifa said: “We have listened to the comments and concerns expressed by the relevant confederations regarding the proposed establishment of the Fifa Forward Enterprise project, and we would like to address the issues that have arisen since the initial media reports last Tuesday.”
It added: “We respect the comments and concerns that have been expressed publicly, and we reiterate our commitment to open and democratic consultations. The planned consultation process has been disrupted by incorrect media reports, and we will continue this process to ensure that every member association is able to exercise its right to vote on the basis of facts.”
‘No one is selling football’
Central to Fifa’s clarification was a firm denial that the initiative would privatise or commercialise the sport in a way that undermines its integrity or governance.
Outlining the purpose of the project, Fifa said it had been put forward “solely to ensure that all Fifa member associations have the opportunity to have meaningful ownership of the commercial side of football in their countries”, stressing that this would not be “at the expense of the spirit of football, its governance or the governance of Fifa itself”.
Addressing speculation around the plan, the governing body stated unequivocally: “No one is selling football. This is something that Fifa would never contemplate.”
Fifa stresses democratic process
Fifa also underlined what it called the democratic rights of every member association, arguing that no single body could claim to speak for the global game.
“It is everyone’s right to express opposition and to ask for further clarifications,” the statement continued, “but no single entity can claim to represent all 211 member associations around the world. Every member association must have the opportunity to review the proposal and to have a say in shaping its own future. These are the democratic principles of Fifa.”
The organisation said the current documents should be viewed as a starting point for discussions. All elements of the plan, it added, are subject to amendment, approval or rejection “in whole or individually” as part of the consultation process.
Commercial structure and revenue sharing
Fifa set out how the “Fifa Forward Enterprise” project would reorganise its commercial operations, explaining that its commercial and organisational activities for staging Fifa events would be transferred to a wholly owned subsidiary, controlled on a permanent basis by Fifa.
According to Fifa, the additional commercial value generated through this structure would then be distributed among all 211 member associations, enabling each to make “tangible” investment in football in its own country.
Under the proposal, every member association would receive $20m (£15.6m) in Fifa Forward development funding over the four-year cycle from 2027 to 2030, regardless of its individual stance on the project. Fifa said this uplift would come from “additional revenues” produced by more efficient management of its commercial operations “for the benefit of all member associations”.
One-off ‘Fifa Fast Forward’ offer
Fifa also outlined a separate initiative, described as an exceptional, one-time development programme called “Fifa Fast Forward”.
This would offer an additional $20m to each member association, on an entirely optional basis, if the Forward Enterprise proposal proceeds. Fifa said this extra funding would be financed via external investment, “without relinquishing control or altering Fifa’s governance structure in any way”.
The governing body stressed that if a majority of member associations do not back the plan, Fifa’s commercial activities would remain unchanged and “Fifa Forward Enterprise” would not be created.
Concluding its intervention, Fifa said the principles behind the proposal’s various components were to provide “unprecedented development funding”, to establish “genuine global ownership of the commercial opportunities of our sport”, and to enable “full self-determination through a democratic process for all member associations.”
