GENEVA, July 29 — FIFA has proposed creating a commercial subsidiary and selling minority stakes to private investors to fund a sharp increase in development funding for its 211 member associations, drawing fierce criticism from UEFA, with European associations expected to meet this week to discuss their response.
FIFA Forward Enterprise would bring together FIFA’s commercial rights — including broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing — with the operational delivery of its tournaments. FIFA would seek to raise up to 4.2 billion U.S. dollars by selling minority, non-controlling stakes in the company, based on an initial equity valuation of 20 billion dollars. The proposal requires the support of a majority of FIFA’s member associations and relevant approvals from the 37-member FIFA Council. FIFA confirmed the plan on Tuesday after it was first reported by the Financial Times and The Times. FIFA said it would retain sole control of the subsidiary and exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, the international match calendar and all regulatory and sporting decisions. It added that outside investors would hold only minority stakes, have no operational role and would be investing in a FIFA subsidiary rather than FIFA itself. FIFA said Thrive Eternal, a permanent-capital investment vehicle launched in April by Joshua Kushner, was expected to lead the proposed investor group.
Under the plan, regular FIFA Forward funding would rise from the currently budgeted eight million dollars per association to 20 million dollars for the 2027-30 cycle, followed by 22 million and 24 million dollars in the subsequent two cycles. Separately, member associations could apply for an optional one-off payment of up to 20 million dollars for specific projects. The funding would support infrastructure, coaching, member association teams, competitions, grassroots football and the women’s game. FIFA said the proposal could bring its total planned development spending to more than 10 billion dollars over the next four years. “Football is the world’s most popular sport and an extraordinary engine of human and social development,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino, describing the plan as “the democratization of football worldwide.” Infantino said every member association should be able to seek a fair share of the available funding and shape its own future rather than relying on others.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, which represents 55 member associations and organizes the continent’s leading club competitions, rejected the proposal outright. “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” it said. “The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially.” Sky News reported that UEFA’s member associations would hold an emergency virtual meeting this week and that there was support for discussing the threat of a World Cup boycott should FIFA proceed with the proposal.
FIFA has said the proposal will now be presented to the Council and all 211 member associations, which will make the final decision on whether it proceeds.
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