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European football's governing body UEFA has strongly criticised FIFA's proposal to bring private investors into its commercial operations, including competitions such as the World Cup. The plan has sparked concerns over the future governance of the sport and the possibility of further expansion of FIFA tournaments.
FIFA recently announced plans to establish a new commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). Through this entity, the organisation intends to invite minority, non-controlling investments from outside partners while maintaining authority over football governance, competitions and regulatory decisions. FIFA says the initiative is designed to increase football development funding to more than $10 billion and create additional resources for member associations.
The proposal, which still requires approval from FIFA's 211 member associations, is expected to attract investment led by American venture capital firm Thrive Eternal. The company was founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump.
Although reports suggested FIFA president Gianni Infantino could benefit financially from the arrangement, FIFA has denied any discussion about him or anyone else becoming chief executive of the new subsidiary. The organisation said Infantino and FIFA leadership have a responsibility to oversee the project's development but did not provide further details about their specific roles.
Under the proposal, every FIFA member association could receive up to $20 million in one-time capital funding to support football development. Infantino said the initiative would ensure football's commercial success benefits countries across the world rather than a select few.
He argued that while some parts of the sport have generated enormous commercial value, FIFA's responsibility is to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth reaches every nation.
UEFA, however, believes the proposal represents a dangerous shift. In a strongly worded statement, it warned that football's governing bodies should never commercialise the sport's governance and questioned the lack of transparency surrounding who could benefit financially.
The organisation also expressed fears that private investment would increase pressure to expand FIFA competitions, both in size and frequency, in order to generate greater returns. Such changes could place even more strain on an already crowded football calendar and potentially affect domestic leagues and UEFA competitions.
The proposal is expected to be discussed at upcoming FIFA Council meetings before a possible vote at the FIFA Congress in Morocco next March. While many smaller football nations may welcome the promised funding, the reaction from leagues, clubs, players and national associations will likely determine whether the controversial plan moves forward.
