European nations are set to discuss a potential boycott of the next men's World Cup in response to FIFA's controversial plan to seek private investment. FIFA announced on Tuesday its intention to create a subsidiary worth $20bn (£15bn) and sell 20% of FIFA Forward Enterprise to investors, raising $4.2bn (£3.16bn). If approved, Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared, would lead the investors.
UEFA Emergency Meeting
UEFA is organising an emergency meeting with its 55 members this week to plan their response. The Football Association was blindsided by FIFA's announcement and will join UEFA members in deciding next steps. A boycott of the 2030 men's World Cup, set to be held across Spain, Morocco and Portugal, is one option. The 2027 women's World Cup in Brazil could also be used as a threat.
FIFA's Rapid Commercialisation
Under Gianni Infantino's presidency, FIFA has rapidly commercialised, with predicted revenue of $13bn (£9.6bn) in the 2022–2026 cycle, a 72% increase from the previous cycle. Infantino's expansionism has solidified his power, but this step may be one too far.
UEFA Reacts Furiously
In a statement on Tuesday, UEFA said: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association. ... 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.”
Precedent and Backlash
There is precedent: in 2021, FIFA dropped a proposal to hold the World Cup every two years after UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and members threatened non-participation. The backlash against FIFA's idea has been swift, compared by some to the 2021 European Super League debacle. La Liga president Javier Tebas posted on X: “It doesn't seem like a reform. It seems like an electoral campaign financed with the future of football. ... Infantino is not the solution to FIFA's governance. He is the problem.” Football Supporters Europe said: “The World Cup is not for sale. ... Gianni Infantino must go.” Prime Minister Andy Burnham wrote: “Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands ... The World Cup is not a product. ... Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out.”
