FIFA has proposed selling a 20% stake in a new commercial company to Joshua Kushner, brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law, as part of controversial plans to overhaul the World Cup. The 25-page document, produced by JP Morgan, outlines a strategy to double the number of global tournaments from 200 to 450 a year, with the men's World Cup potentially held every two years on pay-per-view television. Women's football is not mentioned once in the document.
The proposal, dubbed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), would see private investors take a minority stake in the body's commercial rights, including broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing. FIFA hopes to raise up to £3.1bn from the sale. The bank behind the failed European Super League, JP Morgan, prepared the prospectus, which argues that members would benefit from 'growing tournament portfolio' and 'high yield' partnerships.
England leads UEFA boycott threat
England, along with 54 other UEFA members, has unanimously agreed to boycott the World Cup if FIFA chief Gianni Infantino proceeds with the plan. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting on the 60th anniversary of England's 1966 World Cup victory. The first tournament affected could be the Women's World Cup in Brazil next year.
In a statement, UEFA said: "We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA's proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale. This is not a 'democratic decision' but governance by intimidation - an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game."
An FA spokesman added: "We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view. We oppose FIFA's plans. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football and always will."
UK Government backs boycott
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy voiced support for the boycott, stating: "This is a principled decision that we strongly support. Football belongs to the fans, not billionaire investors. Enough is enough. It's time to take a stand to protect our game."
FIFA has set a deadline of September 19 for member associations to sign up, with those backing the plan receiving £30m each, while those refusing face a 75% cut in funding. The Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman expressed "great concern and disappointment" in a letter to his 47 members, and the Concacaf federation also criticised the move.
Spain and Portugal, co-hosts of the 2030 men's World Cup, have said they will boycott their own tournament if the plan goes ahead. FIFA had not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing.
