FIFA’s Plan to Sell World Cup Stakes to Private Investors Sparks Fury From UEFA
Just days after wrapping up the biggest World Cup in history, FIFA has managed to spark one of the fiercest rows in modern football politics.
On Tuesday, football’s governing body announced plans to create a new $20 billion subsidiary, called FIFA Forward Enterprise, to run the World Cup and its other major events. The plan would see FIFA sell minority stakes of up to 20% in that subsidiary to private investors, aiming to raise as much as $4.2 billion. FIFA insists it will keep majority control, and says outside investors “will not play any operational role.”
UEFA, European football’s governing body, isn’t buying it. In a blistering statement, UEFA said the plan “crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” adding pointedly: “The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade… it is not FIFA’s to sell.” Reports suggest UEFA is now considering a boycott of future FIFA events, potentially including the Club World Cup and the 2027 Women’s World Cup, as part of its response.
Adding fuel to the fire is who’s reportedly behind the investor group interested in buying in: a vehicle founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. That detail alone has drawn scrutiny given football’s already tense relationship with political influence and outside money.
Even politicians are jumping in. The UK’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, took to social media to blast the plan, writing that “the World Cup is not a product… it was never anyone’s to sell.”
For FIFA, the timing is awkward. The organisation just staged a record-breaking 48-team World Cup across the US, Canada, and Mexico, but has also faced criticism over ticket pricing throughout the tournament. Whether this new fundraising plan goes through will ultimately come down to a vote among FIFA’s 211 member nations — but the early reaction from Europe’s football establishment makes clear this fight has only just begun.
