Argentina captain Lionel Messi, left, and Spain centre back Pau Cubarsi jostle for the ball in the World Cup final on July 19.Julio Cortez/The Associated Press
This week, FIFA president Gianni Infantino rocked the global soccer world with a proposal to offer up World Cup stakes to private investors and create a US$20-billion subsidiary to run World Cup competitions and events. The blowback was immediate, with powerhouse institutions including the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) outright rejecting the proposal and its push to further commercialize the global game.
What exactly does Infantino’s proposal entail, could it actually be implemented and who are the parties involved? Here’s what to know so far about the controversy.
Why is UEFA boycotting the World Cup?
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, right, and UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin speak at a Euro 2024 match in Berlin.Matthias Schrader/The Associated Press
On July 30, UEFA announced it would boycott the World Cup and any other FIFA-run competitions in protest against Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
Currently, FIFA’s business model includes no private investment. The non-profit organization earns money mostly through the sale of television, marketing and licensing rights, as well as ticket revenue. Most of its earnings are reinvested back into the sport to fund development initiatives, World Cup tournaments and more. (In the 2023-2026 budget cycle, FIFA reported it would reinvest more than US$11-billion – or more than 90 per cent of its revenue – back into the sport.)
UEFA is pushing back on Infantino’s proposal to open up the tournament to private investors due to concerns over financial transparency and the commodification of the sport. “The World Cup is not for sale,” UEFA said in a statement, adding that the tournament “cannot be treated as an investment product” and should never be offered up to private investors.
“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever.
“From that moment onwards, every decision on the international calendar, every decision on competition formats and every decision shaping the future of football is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders.”
UEFA, which is headquartered in Switzerland, acts as the governing body of European soccer and represents 55 national member associations. Those include countries such as current World Cup champions Spain, as well as France, England, Croatia, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and more. UEFA is only one of six FIFA-recognized confederations but it generates more commercial revenue than any other, including FIFA itself. It’s home to storied soccer powerhouses and it organizes some of the sport’s most valuable competitions including the annual Champions League and Europa League tournaments, as well as the European Championship, held every four years. That commercial weight gives UEFA’s boycott extra influence.
What is the World Cup investment plan that Gianni Infantino proposed?
Infantino speaks at a news conference in Mexico City to open the 2026 World Cup.Eduardo Verdugo/The Associated Press
Infantino’s proposal was officially announced on July 28 in a FIFA media release, which outlined a plan to effectively create a US$20-billion company that would run the World Cup (national teams) and Club World Cup (professional club-level teams) competitions and events – backed by private investors.
The subsidiary, called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) in the proposal, would take control over FIFA’s commercial operations and would be 20-per-cent owned by private investors. If FIFA’s 211 members approved the FFE, each would be awarded US$20-million in basic funding for the next four years (tied to the 2030 men’s World Cup), which is double the US$10-million that was allotted for the 2026 World Cup cycle.
Infantino projected their funding throughout future World Cup cycles could increase even more to US$24-million. Over the next three World Cups, through to 2038, the 211 member associations could see their funding increase to a total of about US$86-million versus the US$36-million they’d get if they rejected the deal – representing roughly a 138-per-cent increase in cash.
On July 29, Infantino set a Sept. 19 deadline for the 211 members to accept the proposal and claim their US$20-million in “one-off capital.”
Two days later, FIFA issued a statement saying “nobody is selling football” and announced it was planning to continue the consultation process. “FIFA acknowledges and respects feedback and concern aired in public,” it said, adding that the FFE wouldn’t be established if it didn’t gain majority support from FIFA’s 211 member associations.
FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff were “deceived” by Infantino’s lack of openness in planning the private investor scheme and “deserve better than contempt and intimidation,” in a statement to the Associated Press. “It is a project of one person,” Lamour added.
Who is Joshua Kushner and what does he have to do with the US$20-billion proposal?
Joshua Kushner and his wife Karlie Kloss pose for a photo at Gucci's Met Gala afterparty in New York in 2019.KRISTA SCHLUETER/The New York Times News Service
Joshua Kushner is an American businessman and the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump. Thrive Eternal, a New York-based capital holding company launched by Joshua Kushner, was attached to Infantino’s proposal as a core investor. The company announced an investment in Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants in April, which is still pending MLB approval. Kushner also owns Thrive Eternal’s parent company, the investment firm Thrive Capital.
What are other soccer associations saying, including CONCACAF?
Infantino, left, and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani attend England's World Cup quarter-final match against Norway in Miami on July 11.ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
CONCACAF rejected Infantino’s proposal on July 30 after the confederation met earlier in the day. Canada, Mexico, the United States and Costa Rica are some of CONCACAF’s member nations.
“During the meeting, the membership expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies,” CONCACAF said in a statement.
The confederation also questioned the need for private equity investment “following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history,” and emphasized the need for greater transparency and proper governance.
The Asian Football Confederation also “stands in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF,” it said in a statement released July 31. The AFC represents Asia and Australia.
“Football should never have been placed in such a position,” the AFC said.
The three confederations account for 143 of the 211 FIFA member associations.
The Confederation of African Football said it would meet to discuss the proposal next week, while the Oceania Football Confederation said it would discuss the matter at its next meeting in August. The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) has not publicly released a statement on the matter.
When is Gianni Infantino up for re-election and can he be removed as FIFA president?
Infantino was originally elected as FIFA president in February, 2016, after the ouster of predecessor Sepp Blatter.Robert Hradil/Getty Images
FIFA presidents are elected into their positions for a set term of four years by a secret ballot. Anyone on the FIFA council – including the president – is only allowed to be in office for three four-year terms, whether consecutive or not.
Infantino was elected as FIFA president in February, 2016, for a three-year term after his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, was ousted from the organization. Infantino had previously been UEFA’s general secretary for 16 years.
Since it was not a full term, FIFA determined that Infantino’s three-year term wouldn’t count toward the typical 12-year limit. Infantino’s main goal at the time was to expand the World Cup to 40 teams. The field ultimately increased to 48 teams for 2026.
The 56-year-old was re-elected with acclaim in both 2019 and 2023, with his second official term running through 2027. Infantino makes about $4.5-million CAD in a gross base salary and $3.8-million CAD in gross variable salary per year, according to FIFA’s official compensation report.
Infantino is up for re-election in 2027. If he were to win, his third and final term as FIFA president would run through 2031.
FIFA presidents can be removed in three ways: resignation, defeat in the election or dismissal by the FIFA ethics committee. Blatter, the only president in FIFA history to resign, left his post amid a corruption scandal.
When is the next FIFA competition?
Spanish players celebrate their victory over England in the 2023 Women's World Cup final in Sydney, Australia.Alessandra Tarantino/The Associated Press
The women’s Under-20 World Cup is scheduled to begin within weeks on Sept. 5 in Poland.
The Women’s World Cup will be held in June and July, 2027, in Brazil.
The next men’s World Cup is in 2030. The tournament will mainly be played in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
It’ll be the 100th anniversary of the World Cup, with select matches also being played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. It’ll be the first time ever that the tournament is played across three continents, and all six host nations automatically qualify for the World Cup.
With reports from The Associated Press and Reuters