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FIFA dismissed criticism of its plan to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup to Joshua Kushner’s investment firm Thrive Capital, insisting that “nobody is selling football” in a sign that it plans to press forward despite facing growing opposition from regional soccer federations including Europe’s UEFA, North America’s CONCACAF and Asia’s AFC.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds the trophy at full-time following the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final.
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Key Facts
In a statement on Friday, the global soccer governing body defended the so-called “FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal,” claiming its planned consultation process was “disrupted by incorrect media reports.”
FIFA said it plans to proceed with this “consultation process” to ensure that each member association can vote on it “based on facts.”
The statement appears to criticize the regional bodies UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC, saying “no single entity can claim to represent all” of FIFA’s 211 member associations and each of them should be allowed to vote on the matter independently.
Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain,” the governing body added.
What Do We Know About Opposition To FIFA’s plan?
FIFA’s statement comes after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) became the latest regional body to express its opposition to the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, noting that it stood in “solidarity” with UEFA and CONCACAF. The AFC said FIFA’s plan could not "realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward". Earlier on Thursday, Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) said its members had “deep concerns” about the plan, as it criticized the “artificially short deadline” and questioned the need for private equity funding after “the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history.” CONCACAF’s statement was preceded by one made by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which said none of its 55 member associations—which includes the men's and women’s world champions Spain— would participate in any FIFA tournament “so long as these proposals remain alive.” The European confederation said it would continue to boycott “unless this proposal is abandoned in its entirety,” and it was given “binding assurances” the international body would not pursue private ownership again.
What Do We Know About The Privatization Plan?
Under the deal, which was first reported by British newspapers The Times and the Financial Times , FIFA is planning to raise an estimated $4.2 billion in 2026 by selling a reported 20% minority stake in a new subsidiary at an equity valuation of $20 billion. The plan is being backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has already come under immense criticism for his perceived closeness to President Donald Trump. The global soccer body is being advised on the plan by JPMorgan and Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital would serve as the lead investor. Kushner is the younger brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared and White House special envoy. Infantino is up for re-election as FIFA President in March 2027, but even if he wins, term limits mean he can only serve till the end of 2031. The Times report suggested that Infantino could take over as the FFE commissioner after 2031 and earn an annual salary that is comparable to NFL boss Roger Goodell's purported $64 million.
What Do We Know About The Funding Offer To Member Organizations?
For the deal to go forward, it would need to be approved by a majority of FIFA’s 211 member associations. Infantino reportedly told FIFA’s member associations on Wednesday that they need to approve the deal by the September 19 deadline or lose access to an immediate $20 million and another $20 million raised over the next three years through the deal. However, a statement issued on Friday says each national soccer body will receive $20 million in FIFA Forward Development funding over the next four years “irrespective of its individual support” for the plan. An additional $20 million per member association will be offered as a one-off development fund and participation in this would be “fully voluntary.” It’s unclear if this means the additional $20 million will only be offered to those who back the deal.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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