FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced a plan to establish a $20 billion company to manage the World Cup and other competitions using private investors, a move that has drawn immediate condemnation from the European soccer body UEFA. The proposed entity, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), would be tasked with running tournaments including the World Cup and the Club World Cup, according to apnews.com.
Financial Structure and Private Investment
FIFA stated that FFE intends to raise up to $4.2 billion later this year to fund development programs. This fundraising effort is based on an initial equity valuation of $20 billion, with FIFA seeking long-term investors to purchase minority, non-controlling interests.
The organization is currently working with J.P. Morgan to facilitate the venture. Identified investors include Thrive Eternal, a firm launched by Joshua Kushner. Joshua’s brother, Jared Kushner, is the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. Infantino has developed deep political and personal ties with Trump, which UEFA noted have only deepened following the conclusion of the most recent men’s World Cup.
UEFA’s Opposition and “Red Lines”
UEFA, which represents 55 of FIFA’s 211 member federations, responded to the reports by stating that the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade.
The organization criticized the plan for a lack of transparency regarding who would gain financially and asserted that none of us are the owners of football.
In a statement released Tuesday, UEFA declared that the project crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross
and urged every national Football Association to take the reports extremely seriously.
Governance and the Role of the President
Because FIFA is currently a Swiss-based not-for-profit association, any plan for FFE must be approved by its 211 national member federations. FIFA stated that these members would have the opportunity to access up to $20 million in one-off capital. Infantino described the initiative as the democratization of football worldwide.
Questions regarding Infantino’s future role within the new structure have surfaced. While The Times reported that a CEO-like commissioner role for FFE could be created for Infantino, FIFA denied that this had been discussed. However, FIFA clarified that the administration and the president will and must have leading roles in this entity — if approved.
Pattern of Privatization Attempts
This venture marks the second time during Infantino’s 11-year presidency that he has attempted a multi-billion dollar deal with private backers. In 2018, Infantino proposed a secretive $25 billion offer over 12 years with Japan’s SoftBank to create new global competitions, including an expanded men’s Club World Cup. That proposal was believed to be backed by Saudi Arabian money but ultimately failed due to fierce resistance from UEFA, which viewed it as a threat to the European Championship and the Champions League.
Despite that failure, Infantino maintained ties with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 World Cup and provided significant funding for the revamped men’s Club World Cup held in the U.S. last year.
Current Status and Timeline
No official timetable has been provided for the debate and decisions by the 211 members or the FIFA Council, which Infantino chairs. While the FFE project remains pending, FIFA is scheduled to hold an online congress on Nov. 23 to confirm the hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cup editions.
Infantino is expected to be re-elected next year unopposed for a fourth and final term, which would run through 2031, following the financial success of the most recent World Cup.
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