Fifa to proceed with investment plan consultation despite opposition
Football’s global governing body, Fifa, has stated its intention to continue with a consultation process regarding its investment plan, despite significant opposition from various football confederations. The organisation maintains that “nobody is selling football” as it moves forward with proposals to allow external investors to acquire stakes in its competitions.
The plan involves creating a commercial subsidiary, named Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would manage its primary events, including the World Cups. This new entity would invite third parties to make minority, non-controlling investments.
Consultation Process and Opposition
The proposed plan has faced considerable backlash. European football’s 55 member associations (MAs) voted to boycott World Cups and other Fifa tournaments if the proposal proceeds. Similarly, Concacaf, the governing body for football in North and Central America, indicated that its 41 member associations also “rejected” the plan.
Fifa acknowledged the feedback and concerns raised publicly, reaffirming its commitment to an open and democratic consultation. The organisation attributed disruptions to its planned consultation process to “incorrect media reports.” It stated its intention to proceed with the consultation to ensure each member association can express its vote based on facts.
The AFC, Asia’s governing body, expressed “great concern and disappointment” regarding the lack of prior consultation from Fifa before the public announcement of these plans. The AFC also deemed the limited details it received as “totally unacceptable.”
Details of the Proposed Enterprise
Under the proposed structure, Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) would oversee commercial and event operations. External investors would be offered stakes of up to 20% in this new commercial entity. The aim is for this external investment to provide millions of dollars in additional funding to national federations.
Fifa stated that the FFE has been proposed to ensure that all Fifa Member Associations have the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of the commercial opportunities within football in their respective countries. The organisation stressed that this would not compromise the spirit or governance of Fifa or football itself.
The plan requires approval through a vote by Fifa’s 211 members. Fifa president Gianni Infantino needs 106 votes in favour for the proposal to pass. The combined members of Uefa and Concacaf account for 96 associations, which appear poised to vote against the proposal.
Reactions from Confederations
Uefa accused Fifa of attempting to sell the “soul” of the sport. In a statement, Uefa and its 55 member associations unanimously and unequivocally rejected the proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors. They argued that the World Cup should not be treated as an investment product, highlighting its legacy built by players, national teams, and supporters across continents.
Uefa also criticised the process, calling it irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance was conceived in secret and brought close to approval without meaningful consultation. The European body described the situation as a “profound failure of leadership” and an “abdication of Fifa’s duty as the custodian of world football.”
The confederation further argued that once external investors acquire ownership interests, football changes permanently, with commercial return becoming a constant obligation and investor expectations becoming a daily pressure. They believe that future decisions on the international calendar, competition formats, and the sport’s future would then be driven by shareholder interests rather than what best serves the game.
Uefa’s stance is that football’s future cannot be dictated by those whose primary duty is to maximise financial returns, and that the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players, and supporters should not be subordinate to investor returns. The European associations have made it clear that their national teams will not participate in any Fifa competition as long as these proposals remain active, unless the plan is entirely abandoned and binding assurances are given that Fifa will not again open its governance or competitions to private ownership. Fifa maintains that everyone has the right to express opposition and seek clarification, but no single entity can claim to represent all 211 member associations globally.
The organisation’s statement also added that Fifa is open to discussion as part of the consultation process, which could include approval, rejection, or amendment of the proposals in their entirety or individually.
Source: bbc.com
