FIFA president Gianni Infantino has triggered a firestorm of criticism from European football authorities after proposing to sell stakes in the World Cup and other major competitions to private investors. The plan, reported by The Times of London, would create a $20 billion (€17.5 billion) commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to oversee the World Cup and Club World Cup, with private investors holding a 20-30% stake.
Infantino has written to all 211 member associations, offering each $40 million (€35 million) if they back the proposal. But the reaction from Europe has been swift and fierce, with governing bodies accusing FIFA of crossing a red line and treating football as a tradable asset.
UEFA leads the charge
UEFA was among the first to condemn the plan, releasing a fiery statement on Tuesday. “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association,” the statement read. “The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially.”
UEFA vice-president Gabriele Gravina echoed the sentiment, saying: “Football cannot be reduced to a private affair. The balance laboriously constructed over the years between show football and football, a great popular passion, risks being swept away by a business vision that is not good for the movement.”
French sports minister Marina Ferrari confirmed that UEFA would hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to coordinate a response. “I acknowledge the emergency meeting to be held Wednesday among European football authorities. Faced with a project that could profoundly transform the balance of our sport, it is essential that European stakeholders speak with a single voice,” she wrote on social media.
National associations push back
The German Football Association (DFB) joined the chorus of disapproval. DFB vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke, who also serves as a UEFA Executive Committee vice-president, said: “Many in European football see FIFA's plans as a direct attack on the sport. I share that view. There is broad consensus among the member associations.” Watzke also stressed Europe's importance to the World Cup, noting that six European teams reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 tournament and three made the semi-finals. “If European football stands united against these plans, that carries significant weight,” he added.
England's Football Association (FA) said it was “completely unaware” of the proposal before it became public. “We are deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance to get to this point, and the apparent substance and principles involved,” a spokesperson said. The FA added that it would comment further once FIFA shares the proposal in a “full and transparent way.”
Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation (FFF), also criticised the lack of communication. “We learned about this very significant project through a press release. We have no details, and given its direction – namely bringing investment funds into a commercial company alongside FIFA – it raises many questions,” Diallo said. He announced he would immediately begin discussions with the presidents of Europe's leading football associations to determine a joint response.
La Liga president warns of hidden dangers
Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, launched a blistering attack on Infantino, accusing him of mixing “politics, discipline, money and power without transparency.” In a social media post featuring an iceberg metaphor, Tebas suggested that much more about Infantino's stewardship remains hidden. “And now FIFA is promising more than $10 billion and up to an additional $20 million for each member association, while at the same time preparing to bring private investors into its rights and competitions. This does not look like reform. It looks like an election campaign financed at the expense of football's future,” he wrote.
Tebas added: “Development cannot be used to buy votes or silence criticism. FIFA's competitions and commercial rights are not Infantino's personal property. Anyone who mixes politics, discipline, money and power without transparency cannot lead anything. Infantino is not the solution to FIFA's governance. He is the problem. We are only scratching the surface of the iceberg.”
EU sports chief tells FIFA to 'hands off our game'
EU sports commissioner Glenn Micallef also weighed in, telling FIFA to “hands off our game.” The European Union has previously expressed concerns about the governance of international football, and this latest proposal is likely to intensify scrutiny. The controversy comes amid reports that one of the potential private investors is the family of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, raising questions about political influence. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has voiced concern over the close ties between Infantino and Trump.
As European football bodies prepare to coordinate their response, the battle lines are drawn. The proposal, if implemented, would fundamentally alter the commercial structure of the World Cup, but the united front from Europe suggests a long and contentious fight ahead.
