Gianni Infantino has set a deadline of 19 September for all 211 FIFA member associations to decide whether they will endorse his proposal to sell a portion of FIFA's commercial operations to private investors, offering a financial incentive of roughly $40 million (about £30 million) to those who agree. The proposal, outlined in a letter sent exclusively to the members after the plan was leaked, has ignited a fierce debate across the football world. FIFA announced on Tuesday that it intends to create a new vehicle called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
This entity would bundle together the commercial rights of the sport—broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing—along with the logistical execution of its tournaments. By doing so, FIFA hopes to raise up to $4.2 billion (approximately £3.1 billion) from external investors who would purchase minority, non‑controlling stakes in FFE.
The governing body values the new venture at around $20 billion (£15 billion). According to FIFA, the infusion of capital could generate more than $10 billion in football‑development funding over the next four years, provided the plan receives the required backing from the member associations.
The letter makes clear that if fewer than 50 percent of the members, together with the ruling council, approve the scheme, FIFA will revert to its existing Forward Programme 4.0, which would allocate roughly $10 million (£7.5 million) per association for the upcoming cycle. Infantino stresses that the stakes are high for national federations.
He warns that associations that decline to support the sale of more than 20 percent of the new commercial spin‑off could see a substantial reduction in the cash available for grassroots projects, development initiatives and national‑team programmes. Conversely, those that sign up before the 19 September deadline would gain immediate access to funds starting 1 January 2027, with a promised pool of £7.5 billion to be distributed among the members. If the majority of the world’s football bodies endorse the venture, the pool could double to £15 million per association from 2027 to 2030, according to FIFA’s earlier statements. The reaction from UEFA has been particularly sharp.
The European governing body issued a statement describing the proposals as a line that should never be crossed, emphasizing that the "soul and governance of football are not assets to trade." UEFA officials have called for an emergency virtual meeting among its member nations and hinted at the possibility of a boycott should Infantino push ahead despite widespread opposition. Political figures have also weighed in. Greater Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, posted on X that football belongs to the fans and the people who work the pitches, not to private investors. The English FA, caught off guard by the sudden proposal, released a statement saying it had no substantive details and expressed deep concern over the lack of transparent governance surrounding the plan.
The Football Association of Wales echoed these sentiments, noting that it had not yet received any detailed documentation from FIFA and was waiting for the full proposal before forming an opinion. Relations between FIFA and UEFA have already been strained. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin recently boycotted the World Cup final in protest over a series of FIFA governance issues, including the handling of the Folarin Balogun case.
The latest controversy adds another layer of tension, especially since the proposal was not raised during FIFA’s meetings with national associations in New York on the eve of the final. Financially, the venture is being steered by JP Morgan as the adviser, while Thrive Capital—led by Josh Kushner, brother‑in‑law of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner—is expected to head the investor consortium. Infantino insists that FIFA would retain full control over the sport’s governance, competition formats, the international match calendar and all regulatory decisions, with any external capital flowing only into a subsidiary rather than into FIFA itself.
Infantino frames the plan as a means to "democratise football worldwide" and to ensure that a larger share of the sport’s commercial success is reinvested in development projects across the globe. He argues that football is not only the world’s most popular sport but also a powerful engine for social and human development.
By separating the commercial side into a dedicated business structure, he believes the value generated can be distributed more equitably among all member associations. Critics, however, remain skeptical.
Some observers point out that the proposal resembles the failed European Super League, where fan outrage and institutional pushback quickly derailed the plan. Others question the personal benefits Infantino might reap from a $20 billion enterprise, especially as his presidential term is set to end in 2031 under FIFA’s term‑limit rules. While FIFA has denied any discussions about Infantino becoming chief executive of the new entity, the organization acknowledges that both the president and the administration would need to play leading roles to guarantee FIFA’s continued control. FIFA’s financial outlook for the 2022‑26 cycle projects revenue of about $15 billion (£112.8 billion), driven largely by television rights, sponsorship deals and ticket sales from the men’s World Cup held this summer.
The next major tournament will be the women’s World Cup in Brazil next year, which will also contribute to the revenue stream. Sky Sports correspondent Kaveh Solhekol summed up the atmosphere, noting that the World Cup was described by FIFA as the most successful ever, with record profits and ticket prices that many fans found prohibitive. He suggested that Infantino sees the creation of a commercial subsidiary as a way to replicate that financial success for future tournaments. Solhekol warned that if the plan collapses, it could represent a tipping point, further eroding confidence in Infantino’s leadership and possibly prompting a groundswell of opposition similar to that which halted the European Super League.
In short, the coming weeks will determine whether FIFA’s ambitious commercial restructuring will proceed, bringing a massive cash pot to its members, or whether the backlash from UEFA, national associations and fans will force the organization to retreat to its traditional funding model. The outcome will have lasting implications for the governance, financial distribution and overall direction of world football.