FIFA has issued a statement aimed at clarifying its recent announcement regarding the potential sale of stakes in the World Cup to private investors. This follows significant backlash from UEFA and Concacaf, who have publicly opposed the plan.

Details of the Proposal

On Tuesday, news emerged about FIFA President Gianni Infantino's initiative to create a subsidiary named "FIFA Forward Enterprise" (FFE), which would handle FIFA's commercial and event operations. The proposal involves selling a minority stake in FFE to a group of investors led by Thrive Eternal, a holding company managed by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner. If realized, this initiative could generate $20 billion for FIFA, which would be allocated to its member associations. The first distribution would increase the payout for the 2027-2030 period from $8 million to $20 million per country, with additional funds anticipated through 2038.

Reactions from UEFA and Concacaf

The proposal has faced strong opposition, particularly from UEFA and Concacaf. UEFA, which has produced five of the last six World Cup champions, has declared a boycott of all FIFA competitions until the proposal is withdrawn. Both confederations have criticized the lack of transparency in the decision-making process, with UEFA stating that the idea was "conceived in secret" and brought to the verge of approval without adequate consultation. Concacaf echoed these sentiments, expressing concerns over the rushed timeline and the absence of proper review by FIFA's governance bodies.

In its statement, FIFA acknowledged the concerns raised but also expressed frustration over what it described as "incorrect media reports" that disrupted its planned consultation process. However, FIFA did not specify any examples of these reports. The organization has indicated that it will begin its consultation process, yet did not clarify if its timeline would change, as Infantino has set a deadline of September 19 for a decision.

FIFA emphasized that the FFE initiative is designed to allow all member associations to gain meaningful ownership of football's commercial opportunities without compromising the integrity of the sport. The organization reassured that "nobody is selling football" and that no single entity can claim to represent all 211 member associations globally.