GENEVA, July 28 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing sharp criticism from European football leaders after unveiling plans for a new commercial company that would oversee FIFA’s biggest tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup. The proposal, valued at approximately $20 billion, would bring in private investors while FIFA maintains control of football governance, a move that has sparked an immediate and forceful response from UEFA.
According to FIFA, the project is designed to unlock additional financial resources for football development around the world while allowing member associations to benefit from significantly higher funding over the coming years. However, UEFA argues that the plan risks turning the world’s most prestigious football competitions into commercial assets and raises serious questions about transparency, governance, and the long-term future of the sport.
UEFA Rejects FIFA’s Commercial Expansion Plan
The disagreement emerged after FIFA officially confirmed its intention to establish a new commercial subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The company would be responsible for managing the commercial rights of FIFA competitions, including the men’s World Cup and the expanded Club World Cup.
FIFA stated that the proposed entity could raise as much as $4.2 billion from carefully selected long-term investors through minority, non-controlling ownership stakes. The governing body emphasized that FIFA itself would retain full authority over football regulations, competition formats, the international match calendar, and all sporting decisions.
Among the investment groups linked to the proposal is Thrive Eternal, an investment platform launched by Joshua Kushner. The company has drawn additional public attention because Joshua Kushner’s brother, Jared Kushner, is the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. FIFA also confirmed that financial services giant J.P. Morgan is working with the organization on the proposed investment structure.
The announcement comes only weeks after the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an event that further strengthened the relationship between Infantino and President Trump through several high-profile public appearances. Those growing political connections have already prompted concern among some football officials across Europe.
Responding to the proposal, UEFA issued one of its strongest public statements in recent years. The European governing body declared that football’s governing institutions should never treat the sport’s heritage and governance as assets available for commercial sale.
UEFA said football belongs to everyone involved in the game rather than to any single organization. It also warned that the proposal crossed a line that should not be crossed and called on every national football association to examine the project carefully before any decisions are made.
The European organization, which represents 55 FIFA member associations, said it considers the proposal an issue of major importance because of its potential impact on the future structure of international football.
FIFA, meanwhile, insists that discussions with member federations are only beginning. The governing body described the process as a consultation rather than a finalized agreement and said every member association would have the opportunity to evaluate the proposal before any formal approval.
Infantino said the initiative is intended to democratize football by expanding financial opportunities for associations across every continent instead of concentrating commercial benefits among a limited number of wealthy football markets.
Member Federations Offered Major Financial Incentives
One of the central arguments presented by FIFA is the promise of significantly increased financial support for its 211 member associations.
The organization explained that the proposal was first outlined during a meeting with member federations in Manhattan on July 18, held shortly before the World Cup final. During that gathering, Infantino reportedly discussed plans to unlock what he described as FIFA’s untapped commercial potential.
Under the proposed FIFA Fast-Forward Program, development funding would increase substantially over the next three World Cup cycles.
Instead of receiving the previously planned $8 million in development funding during the 2027 to 2030 commercial cycle, each participating member association could receive up to $20 million. FIFA also outlined plans for that figure to rise to $22 million during the following cycle and eventually reach $24 million in the years afterward.
FIFA said participation would remain voluntary, allowing each national football association to decide whether it wished to take advantage of the new financial structure.
The proposal follows the enormous commercial success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which generated approximately $12 billion in revenue. Strong ticket demand, premium hospitality packages, sponsorship agreements, and global broadcasting rights helped produce record financial returns during the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Those financial results have strengthened FIFA’s confidence that additional commercial investment can further increase long-term revenue. At the same time, some observers question whether future tournaments, including the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, can produce similar levels of commercial income.
FIFA maintains that even if outside investors participate financially, they would not gain influence over sporting matters. According to the organization, FIFA would continue to exercise exclusive authority over competition rules, governance, disciplinary matters, scheduling, and all regulatory decisions affecting international football.
Despite those assurances, concerns surrounding governance have not disappeared. During the recent World Cup, questions over FIFA’s decision-making process and integrity standards were raised by several national team coaches, Norway’s football federation, and representatives within the Council of Europe. Those earlier debates have added to the scrutiny now surrounding the proposed commercial restructuring.
Previous Privatization Efforts and Questions About Infantino’s Future
This is not the first time Infantino has attempted to reshape FIFA’s commercial model through private investment.
In 2018, he promoted a confidential proposal involving approximately $25 billion over 12 years that sought to finance new international competitions with backing connected to Japan’s SoftBank and reportedly supported by Saudi Arabian investment interests.
That earlier initiative met heavy resistance from UEFA, which viewed the expansion as a direct threat to the commercial value of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA European Championship. The proposal ultimately failed to move forward in its original form.
Even after that setback, FIFA continued expanding its relationship with Saudi Arabia. The kingdom later secured hosting rights for the 2034 FIFA World Cup and played a major financial role in supporting the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
The latest proposal has also renewed speculation about Infantino’s long-term future after his FIFA presidency.
Following the financial success of the 2026 World Cup, many within international football expect Infantino to seek re-election next year for what would be his fourth and final term, extending his leadership through 2031.
However, recent reporting by The Times suggested that the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise could eventually create a commissioner or chief executive style position that Infantino might occupy after completing his presidency.
FIFA responded directly to those reports, saying such a role has never been discussed formally. At the same time, the organization acknowledged that both the FIFA president and FIFA administration would naturally play leading roles within the new company if member associations ultimately approve the project.
No formal timetable has yet been announced for member voting or final approval. FIFA’s governing Council, chaired by Infantino, is expected to continue consultations with national associations before any binding decisions are made.
The next FIFA Congress, scheduled to take place online on November 23, is primarily expected to confirm the hosts of the 2031 and 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cups. Whether discussions surrounding FIFA Forward Enterprise become part of that meeting remains uncertain, but the proposal has already opened one of the most significant governance debates in world football in recent years.