FIFA president Gianni Infantino has told all 211 member associations they will each receive tens of millions of pounds if they back his bombshell plan to sell off stakes in competitions like the World Cup. Infantino has announced a hard deadline of September 19 for football federations to accept his controversial plan if they want to access an initial $20m.
FIFA's Forward Enterprise Proposal
On Tuesday, football's global governing body confirmed proposals to establish the so-called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new company which would oversee the commercial rights and operational delivery of its competitions. The announcement has sparked fury across world football, with European governing body UEFA hitting back at the plans in a furious statement. FIFA insists that the new company would remain under its control and allow for over $10 billion (£7.5 billion) to be spent on the development of football around the world over the next four years if approved.
With it proposed that FIFA would sell minority, non-controlling stakes in FFE to carefully selected long-term investors, the governing body also stressed that these outside investors would have no operational role, and that it would keep "exclusive authority" over the game's governing, competitions and all sporting decisions. However, Tuesday's announcement has been met with outrage, with Thrive Eternal, a company launched by Joshua Kushner - the brother of President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner - revealed to be leading the proposed investor group behind FFE.
Infantino's Ultimatum and Potential Personal Gain
A report by The Times also claimed that Infantino could become the commissioner of the new entity when his FIFA presidency ends in 2031, with such a move set to earn him tens of millions of pounds and open the door to more radical changes to competitions. Amid the controversy - which has seen confederations across the world hit back at the plans - Infantino has reportedly now written to all of FIFA's member associations and given them a deadline of September 19 to back his proposals, as well as a $40 million (£30 million) incentive to accept.
In the five-page letter, he warned countries that they will have access to much less money for development projects, grassroot football and their national teams if they do not back the plans. He added that, with the launch of FFE requiring more than 50 per cent of member countries - along with his ruling council - to support the proposals, those who don't back the plans risk missing out on the extra money if a majority is achieved. In the letter, Infantino made reference to "a singular and unique funding opportunity only for those Member Associations who wish to participate, with their decision to be made by September 19 2026 so we can plan ahead and with funds to be available immediately as of January 1 2027."
Opposition from UEFA and Others
It comes amid reports that UEFA nations will hold an emergency meeting this week to discuss a coordinated response to FIFA's plans, including the possibility of boycotting future World Cups. The Football Association and the North, Central American and Caribbean confederation CONCACAF have also joined criticism of the proposals, with the former admitting it is "deeply concerned" about the plans. UEFA's statement on Tuesday read: "This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every national football association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell."
