FIFA is under fire this week. Leaked plans reveal the football body wants to sell minority stakes in a new $20 billion commercial entity. The backlash has been swift, and it hasn’t been quiet.
The new venture is called FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE. It would bundle FIFA’s biggest money-makers together. That includes broadcast rights, sponsorship deals, ticket sales, and licensing fees. FIFA wants to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling a stake in this entity to outside investors. Consequently, the World Cup itself would sit at the center of the deal.
FIFA insists it isn’t giving up control. The stakes on offer are minority and non-controlling, the organization says. Furthermore, FIFA claims every dollar raised will flow back into the game. President Gianni Infantino defended the plan directly. “Football is the world’s most popular sport and an extraordinary engine of human and social development,” he said in a statement. He added that some parts of the sport have already turned popularity into serious commercial value. “We celebrate that success and want it to continue, because it lifts the whole game,” Infantino said.
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Not everyone agrees with that framing. UEFA, European football’s governing body, responded with unusually sharp language. “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” the organization said in a statement. As a result, UEFA nations are now planning an emergency virtual meeting to discuss their next move. Reports suggest a boycott of FIFA events, including the World Cup, remains on the table.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has also weighed in. He voiced his objection on social media, framing the dispute in emotional terms. “Football does not belong to investors,” Burnham wrote. “It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine.” His comments echo a broader sentiment spreading through the football world: fans, not financiers, should decide the game’s direction.
Money, however, remains central to this story. FIFA has reportedly told its 211 member associations that funding will grow substantially if they approve the plan. Each nation currently receives $8 million. Under the new proposal, that figure would jump to $20 million for the 2027-30 cycle, then continue rising afterward. In total, FIFA says the deal could unlock more than $10 billion in development funding over four years. That’s a significant incentive, and it may sway hesitant federations.
Meanwhile, questions are surfacing about who actually benefits from this arrangement. Thrive Eternal, an investment vehicle from venture capital firm Thrive Capital, is expected to lead the investor group. Notably, the firm was founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner. Former Disney CEO Bob Iger is also advising on the deal. FIFA has been clear, though: Jared Kushner himself is not a potential investor.
Infantino’s own role in the new entity has drawn scrutiny too. FIFA has denied that he could become chief executive of FFE once his presidency ends, calling the idea “never discussed.” Still, critics note that Infantino faces term limits after 2031, and a seat atop a $20 billion commercial arm would be quite the landing spot.
For now, the plan needs approval from a majority of FIFA’s member associations before it can move forward. That vote won’t be simple. UEFA’s anger is real, political leaders are speaking out, and fans are watching closely. Therefore, FIFA finds itself walking a tightrope: it wants fresh capital and bigger payouts for its members, yet it must avoid the appearance of selling off the world’s game to private equity.
Whether FIFA can thread that needle remains uncertain. One thing is clear, though. The fight over football’s soul, and its finances, is only just beginning.
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