• UEFA boycotts the World Cup:European soccer governing body UEFA has voted to boycott future men’s and women’s World Cups in reaction to the global soccer governing bodyFIFA’s plan to inject private money into its competitions
• What’s in the plan:FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proposed to create a $20 billion company running major tournaments with private investors. UEFA responded with outrage to the move, saying in a Tuesday statement: “None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.” The dispute has only escalated since
• Kushner family backing:FIFA is working with JP Morgan on the commercial subsidiary, which would be called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). Intended investors include Thrive Eternal, founded by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is a son-in-law of US President Donald Trump
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European soccer governing body UEFA has voted to boycott future men’s and women’s World Cups in reaction to the global soccer governing body FIFA’s plan to inject private money into its competitions
Former England Football Association chief executive Mark Palios talks to CNN on Thursday.
With UEFA’s emergency meeting underway, former England Football Association chief executive Mark Palios has told CNN that a World Cup without Europe’s top nations would be hard to fathom and “severely reduce” FIFA’s ability to monetize its competitions
Six of the current top ten nations in FIFA’s World Rankings hail from Europe
Palios, who was in his role between 2003 and 2004, saidhe wouldn’t be surprised if UEFA played its major card and withdrew European clubs from all FIFA competitions following today’s meeting
On the proposed investment plan, Palios said the announcementby FIFA President Gianni Infantino was symptomatic of the organization’s approach to leadership, characterized by “poor governance, poor process and it doesn’t involve the stakeholders.”
He also said the surprise move raised bigger questions over FIFA’s wider structure
FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives at the stadium before the World Cup final on July 19.
A Swiss administrator who rose up the ranks to become the most powerful man in soccer, Gianni Infantino’s decade-plus-long reign as the head of the sport’s world governing body, FIFA, has been signposted by controversy, expansion and monetary growth
He was initially set to serve for a period of three years but has been re-elected for subsequent terms, running unopposed
Having qualified as a soccer lawyer, Infantino held multiple roles at European governing body UEFA, before taking over the FIFA presidency in February 2016 at an extraordinary congress as corruption allegations swirled around the organization
Infantino has overseen three men’s World Cups in his time: Russia 2018, Qatar 2022 and most recently this summer’s tournament in North America
Each edition, though, has been mired in controversy: Infantino’s close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin; the Gulf nation’s treatment of migrant workers; and the FIFA chief’s flattery of President Trump
Under his leadership, FIFA has expanded the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, with reports that a 64-team format is under consideration for the 2030 edition
Infantino has also sought to substantially bolster the FIFA coffers with lucrative sponsorship ties
It’s not the first time he’s explored the idea of selling off parts of FIFA
In 2018, Infantino proposed a $25 billion deal with Japan’s SoftBank to create new global competitions, including an expanded men’s Club World Cup
That ultimately failed after meeting fierce resistance from UEFA
Whether or not his latest proposal gets green lit remains to be seen
A logo is pictured at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, on April 15, 2016.
It remains to be seen what takes place today in UEFA’s emergency meeting, but the member associations are sure to consider a plethora of options
Among the measures that are reportedly on the table is a boycott of any FIFA-controlled competitions, including the World Cup, Women’s World Cup and Club World Cup. CNN Sports has reached out to UEFA for comment
If there were to be a boycott by both national teams and club sides, that would likely end FIFA’s drive to establish this separate entity for its commercial and operational interests
Imagine a World Cup without Spain, France or England (three of the four semifinalists at this year’s edition) or a Club World Cup without Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Similarly, next year’s Women’s World Cup would be without defending champion Spain or England, another powerhouse. These wouldn’t be legitimate competitions in the eyes of most fans around the planet and almost no one would watch or pay the substantial amounts of money for tickets, concessions and merchandise that investors would likely push for in the future.
Other measures reported to be under consideration include a breakaway governing body to compete with FIFA that would be formed with other continental confederations, but this is far more unlikely than a boycott
President of the Asian Football Confederation Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa attends the 74th FIFA Congress at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 17, 2024.
As UEFA meets today, what’s the response been from the other key stakeholders within FIFA to Gianni Infantino’s proposal?
CONCACAF, soccer’s governing body for the Caribbean, Central America and North America, said it was “deeply concerned by the lack of due process.”
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) echoed these concerns, with President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa branding Fifa’s lack of consultation with its members “totally unacceptable” in a letter – seen by Reuters – to the regional body’s 47 member federations today
The executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced yesterday that it will meet next week to evaluate the proposal
South American governing body CONMEBOL and the Oceania confederation, a small regional bloc with 11 full member nations, have not commented publicly
UEFA’s emergency meeting with its 55 member associations has now begun and we will keep across any developments which come out of it
It’s safe to say that Europe’s soccer governing body did not react well to reports breaking the news of FIFA’s plans
In a post on X Tuesday, UEFA strongly condemned the reported proposal, saying, “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross… The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially
Roughly two-and-a-half hours later, FIFA released a rough outline of its proposal. The Associated Press then reported that FIFA President Gianni Infantino had set a September 19 deadline for its 211 member associations to accept a one-off $20 million payment underwritten by the private investment into its new scheme, including from an entity owned by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump
After news of that deadline dropped, UEFA was even more resolute, posting on X:
“Today, we have learned of FIFA’s deadline to associations to support their proposals or have the one-off payout offer withdrawn. This says everything you need to know about this plan
“But having held discussions with many stakeholders across the game, UEFA knows there is significant and growing opposition to FIFA’s scheme. FIFA cannot continue to use our sport to enrich themselves and their friends. We can grow the game correctly. It’s time to prioritise associations, clubs, leagues, players and fans.”
Rodri #16 of Spain lifts the FIFA World Cup trophy after the team’s victory following the match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19.
The FIFA proposal was developed rather opaquely. The first news of it came in a report in the Times of London before it was confirmed by the global soccer body
Soccer authorities have criticized FIFA for not consulting them on the plans before they were released to the public. Both CONCACAF (North and Central American and Caribbean governing body) and the Asian Football Confederation released statements saying they were unhappy at the lack of consultation
The plan to create a commercial subsidiary, which would be called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), has also brought a lot of heat due to the involvement of private investors, in particular the main proposed investor group, Thrive Eternal. It is headed up by Joshua Kushner – brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump
The fear is that investors, seeking return on their investments, will push to influence matters beyond their remit in order to maximize their profits
For example, the newly expanded men’s World Cup allowed for a lot more revenue through additional games, while hydration breaks gave broadcasters opportunities to play more ads if they so chose. Under this proposal, there would be even greater incentive to expand the World Cup and the Club World Cup further to include a higher number of teams, providing more games for more revenue. This isn’t speculation, but rather something already postulated by Infantino during the 2026 edition. Would investors also pressure FIFA to hold the World Cup more frequently: every two years instead of every four?
That would then affect player welfare and competitions outside of FIFA’s remit, such domestic leagues and continental club competitions like the Champions League. Players are already nearing their physical limits with additional games, so would this move mean further injuries and have a negative effect across the sport?
European soccer player union FIFPRO Europe said in a statement that it has “deep concern” over the FFE proposal, saying that it risks turning the World Cup and other competitions into “investable assets for private capital, a move that would fundamentally and irreversibly reshape the incentives underpinning the competitions in which players work, compete and build their careers.”
CNN Sports has reached out to FIFA for comment on the proposals
FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds the World Cup trophy at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, on June 1.
FIFA is proposing a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) that will control the commercial side (including broadcast rights, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing) and the operational side (planning, setting up and delivering tournaments) of itscompetitions, including the World Cup, Women’s World Cup and the Club World Cup
FIFA insists it would own and have “sole control” of this subsidiary – which it says has an initial equity valuation of $20 billion – and have “exclusive authority” over the sporting side of things, including competitions, governance, match calendars and regulatory/sporting decisions. All net benefits of FFE would be reinvested back into the worldwide game, according to the organization
Central to the proposal is the introduction of private investment; FIFA says it will raise $4.2 billion by partnering with certain “long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests in FFE.”
The money raised by the schemewould allow FIFA to provide up to $40 million to all of its 211 member associations: $20 million for the next budget cycle of 2027-2030 (up from $8 million currently budgeted) and an immediate, optional $20 million from the $4.2 billion of private investment. According to the Associated Press, Infantino has set a September 19 deadline for the member associations to accept the optional payment
There are similar entities in sports currently. For example, Liberty Media owns Formula One’s commercial and operational rights, while motorsport governing body FIA leads the sporting side of the partnership. The intersection of sports with Wall Street is not new – just look at the investment of private equity into the NFL, NBA, MLB and the PGA Tour – but the trend seemingly continues to accelerate into global sports
The entire proposal though is just that: a proposal. As FIFA itself said in a statement, it still has to be approved by the majority of FIFA’s member associations and by the FIFA Council
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32 match between Netherlands and Morocco at Monterrey Stadium, Mexico, on June 29.
Roughly a week and a half on from the end of one of the best ever World Cups, news has dropped that bring FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino – fresh off their massive win in North America – crashing back down to Earth
The world soccer governing body announced plans Tuesday to set up a separate entity – which would include private investors – that would have control of the commercial and operational rights of one of the globe’s biggest sporting events
This proposal, though, has come under intense scrutiny and criticism from many around the world, including European governing body UEFA, which warned that the “soul and governance” of the game are under threat
UEFA and its 55 member associations are meeting virtually today to discuss the proposal and possible reactions to it. UEFA is strongly against the sale of any portion of FIFA’s remit to private investors and pointed to a lack of transparency around who stands to gain financially from the plan, which it called a “line that football’s governing institutions should never cross.”
It remains to be seen what comes out of today’s discussions, but whatever UEFA decides to do could either preserve or shake the very foundation of the global game as we know it
Hello from London and welcome to CNN’s coverage of European soccer governing body UEFA’s emergency meeting in response to a controversial proposal by FIFA, the global head of the sport, to split its commercial and operational activities off into a subsidiary and involve private investment, something widely called out by soccer authorities and many fans around the world
The meeting is set to kick off at 9 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. local time in Switzerland and we will be across all the developments for you. Stay tuned
