FIFA has announced plans to sell a minority stake in the commercial operations of the World Cup and other competitions through a new semi-private subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
The world football governing body said it would retain majority ownership and control of the company while seeking to raise $4.2 billion later this year by bringing in carefully selected long-term investors who would acquire non-controlling interests.
FIFA’s announcement followed reports by British newspapers The Times and The Financial Times that details of the proposed plan had been leaked.
According to the reports, discussions had begun with financial advisers and potential investors, including Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, and an arm of US banking giant JP Morgan Chase.
FIFA, however, denied reports that President Gianni Infantino could become commissioner of FFE after his expected tenure ends in 2031.
The proposed plan has drawn criticism from former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and European football’s governing body, UEFA.
Blatter criticised the reported financial links surrounding the proposal, while UEFA said football’s governing institutions should not treat the sport as a tradable asset.
UEFA also questioned the transparency of the proposal and warned against allowing private investors to gain financially from football’s governing structures.
FIFA said the proposed subsidiary would remain under its sole control, with the organisation retaining exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, the international match calendar and all regulatory and sporting decisions.
The governing body said FFE could achieve an initial equity valuation of $20 billion.
Under the proposal, each of FIFA’s 211 member associations would also have the opportunity to acquire a one-off $20 million stake in the subsidiary. FIFA said the investment, alongside existing development programmes, could help raise its total planned funding for football development to more than $10 billion over the next four years.
The proposal still requires approval from the 38-member FIFA Council and a majority of member associations.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham also criticised the plan, arguing that football should not be treated as a commercial product owned by investors.
The proposed restructuring comes as FIFA anticipates record revenues of more than €7 billion ($8 billion) in 2026, following the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams.
Infantino has also previously confirmed that FIFA had discussed the possibility of expanding the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, raising further concerns about the commercial future and structure of the tournament.
The latest proposal has renewed debate over FIFA’s relationship with private investors and the potential impact of commercial interests on the organisation’s major competitions, including the World Cup and the expanded Club World Cup.
