FIFA World Cup stake plan draws UEFA warning over private investors
FIFA wants private money for a new tournament-rights arm, but UEFA says football’s governance is not an asset to trade.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
FIFA’s World Cup stake plan has set off an immediate fight at the top of soccer, after the governing body said Tuesday it wants private investors to take minority positions in a new company tied to its tournament business.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, a proposed subsidiary that FIFA said would combine commercial rights including broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing with the operational delivery of FIFA competitions.
FIFA said the structure could bring fast financial benefits for global football development. UEFA answered with a blunt warning, saying the proposal crosses a line that football’s governing bodies should not cross.
Why is UEFA against FIFA selling a World Cup stake?
UEFA said football’s “soul and governance” should not be treated as assets for sale, especially without what it called transparency over who would gain financially. The European governing body said national associations, leagues, clubs, players, supporters and governments should all take the issue seriously.
In its statement, UEFA said: “None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”
FIFA’s position is that investors would not be buying FIFA itself. The governing body said any outside backers would hold minority, non-controlling stakes in FFE and would have no operational role.
FIFA also said it would keep majority board representation and sole authority over football governance, competitions, the international match calendar, and all regulatory and sporting decisions.
How would FIFA Forward Enterprise work?
FIFA described FFE as a dedicated commercial subsidiary, similar to structures used by other sports bodies. The idea is to bring FIFA’s revenue-generating rights and tournament operations into one vehicle while inviting third parties to provide capital and commercial expertise.
The Times reported that Infantino is expected to become commissioner of the new entity, potentially after securing another term as FIFA president next year.
According to the report, FIFA is trying to raise as much as $4.2 billion in capital and has approached Josh Kushner’s Thrive Capital as a potential cornerstone investor. FIFA said Thrive Eternal, a permanent capital holding company, is expected to lead the proposed investor group, subject to final agreements and approvals.
Josh Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, the daughter of U.S. President Donald Trump.
FIFA said J.P. Morgan has been engaged to work with it on the project. It also said OpenEconomics and other advisers are speaking with potential long-term investors, with expressions of interest from Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.
What happens before the plan can go ahead?
FIFA said it has started a consultation process with its 211 member associations and the FIFA Council because of the proposal’s importance. The organization said it will launch the new structure only if a majority of member associations support it and the FIFA Council approves the required regulatory changes.
The plan is part of a wider funding push. FIFA said it wants to increase football development funding to more than $10 billion.
Alongside FFE, FIFA said it plans to create the FIFA Fast Forward Programme, which would allow each of its 211 member associations to access up to $20 million in one-off capital funding.
For FIFA, the message is control stays in-house while private money fuels growth. For UEFA, the alarm bell is louder: once investors are invited into the machinery around the World Cup, the argument over who football belongs to gets very real.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.