Opposition to FIFA's World Cup venture grows as Czech FA breaks ranks, backs the deal
FIFA's plan to place World Cup commercial rights in a new company and sell a stake to private investors drew sharp rebukes from UEFA and most of European football, but the Czech FA came out in support on Wednesday.
The proposal
FIFA intends to establish a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to manage the commercial activities and tournament organization of the World Cup and other competitions. The entity would be valued at up to 20 billion dollars, with FIFA selling a stake of up to 20% to external investors. FIFA said it would retain exclusive control of the FFE through majority board representation and exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, the match calendar, and regulatory decisions. The organization is working with the American bank JP Morgan on the structure, with investor sourcing coordinated by Thrive Capital, a firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump.
The commercial part of the game should operate as a dedicated and efficient business so that the value created can be shared better around the world.
The opposition
UEFA issued a sharp condemnation of the plan on Wednesday, stating that it "crosses a line governing football institutions should never cross." The European body added that the imposition of a deadline for federations to express support, under threat of withdrawing the one-time payment offer, says everything needed about the plan. UEFA noted significant and growing opposition among football stakeholders. Romania Football Federation president Răzvan Burleanu announced his federation's opposition in an interview with Fanatik, calling the project a dangerous privatization of football.
We consider the transformation of a fundamental competition into a commercial product destined for investment funds a dangerous initiative of privatizing football.
French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo told Le Figaro that national federations learned of the initiative only through a press release, without prior consultation. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter also weighed in, posting that the close relationship between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump had taken on a financial dimension that does serious harm to football. The British prime minister condemned the initiative, while the European Club Association expressed concern and CONCACAF joined the indignation.
No one has the right to sell our sport.
A crack in the wall
Czech Football Association president David Trunda told Sky News that he supports the project. Trunda, elected last year, said he sees concrete benefits for Czech football from close collaboration with Infantino and his team. Each of FIFA's 211 member federations would receive a substantial sum of 35 million euros if they accept the proposal.
I see the concrete benefits that Czech football can obtain from a close collaboration with Gianni Infantino and his team. Of course, we need more details, but personally, I believe that FIFA's intentions will have a positive impact.
What lies behind the deal
FIFA says the initiative could generate more than 10 billion dollars for football development, with revenues from the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico already exceeding 15 billion dollars, above the initial estimate of 13 billion dollars. Federations supporting the plan early would receive a financial incentive of 40 million dollars, with a deadline of 19 September set by Infantino. FIFA claims the funds would be distributed among the 211 affiliated federations, with initial payments of 20 million dollars each for the 2027-2030 cycle, rising to 24 million dollars for the 2035-2038 period.
What happens next
UEFA has convened an emergency online meeting of its member federations this week to develop an action plan, with a potential boycott of the 2030 World Cup under discussion, according to ESPN and BBC sources. Burleanu announced that the Romanian FA is suspending its support for a new mandate for Infantino at the helm of FIFA until further clarification, a topic that was to be debated and approved at a meeting on 29 July. Several other European federations are analyzing response measures if FIFA pushes forward with the sale.
