FIFA President Gianni Infantino has faced strong opposition from European football associations after proposing to create a company with private investors to run the World Cup and other FIFA events. Infantino offered FIFA's 211 member associations £30 million each to back his FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) venture, warning that they would not receive the money if they did not support the proposal. The deadline for a decision was set for September 19.
Lead investor and backlash
The proposed lead investor for the scheme was Thrive Eternal, a company founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, who is the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump. Infantino has cultivated close ties with Trump in recent years.
UEFA led the opposition, announcing after a crisis meeting on Thursday that European nations would boycott all FIFA competitions until the global body drops the plan. The meeting was called about 48 hours after Infantino's plans were leaked.
UEFA's statement
UEFA declared: "UEFA and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors."
The statement added: "The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale."
UEFA labelled the proposal "irresponsible and indefensible" and said it was "not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football." They criticized the process as "not a 'democratic decision', but governance by intimidation – an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game."
Determined opposition
UEFA continued: "This model has no place in world football. Football’s future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return." They insisted: "Nobody should be in any doubt: UEFA and its national associations will oppose these plans with absolute determination."
Ending their statement, UEFA declared: "Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale."
