Gianni Infantino has set a deadline of 19 September for all 211 FIFA member associations to decide whether they will endorse his latest commercial strategy, offering a £30.1 million (approximately $40 million) incentive to those who agree. In a confidential letter that was disclosed to the press, the FIFA president outlined a bold proposal to carve out a new commercial arm of the organisation, dubbed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), and to sell minority stakes in this entity to private investors. The FFE would consolidate the sale of FIFA's commercial rights – encompassing broadcasting deals, sponsorship contracts, ticketing operations and licensing agreements – and would also take charge of the logistical delivery of FIFA tournaments.
By doing so, FIFA hopes to attract up to £3.1 billion ($4.2 billion) from external capital, selling non‑controlling, minority shares in the new venture, which FIFA values at roughly £15 billion ($20 billion). The governing body claims that, if the plan receives the required backing from its members, it could generate more than £7.53 billion ($10 billion) in development funding over the next four-year cycle.
Infantino’s correspondence, sent exclusively to the 211 national associations after the details of the plan were leaked, warned that members who refuse to support the sale of more than 20 percent of the commercial spin‑off could see a sharp reduction in the cash available for grassroots projects, national team programmes and other development initiatives. He stressed that the launch of FFE would need the affirmative vote of over half of the members, together with the endorsement of his ruling council, in order to proceed. In the letter, Infantino wrote: “Should neither condition be satisfied, FIFA will continue as planned with the Forward Programme 4.0, meaning approximately £7.5 million ($10 million) per member association for the next cycle.” He added that associations that decline to join the new venture risk missing out on the larger pool of money if the majority of the world’s football bodies endorse the project. He framed the offer as a “singular and unique funding opportunity” for those members willing to participate, with a decision deadline of 19 September 2026 and funds to become available from 1 January 2027.
The letter also noted that FIFA had previously announced that the new commercial vehicle would provide access to £15 million ($20 million) per year from 2027 to 2030 – a figure that has now effectively doubled under the latest proposal. Critics have seized on the timing and the lack of transparency. UEFA, football’s European governing body, issued a strongly worded statement describing the plan as a line that “should never be crossed.” An emergency virtual meeting of UEFA’s 55 member associations is scheduled for Thursday to discuss a possible boycott should Infantino push ahead despite the backlash.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham also voiced his disapproval on social media, stating that football belongs to the fans and the players, not to private investors. The English Football Association (FA) said it was unaware of the proposal and had received no substantive details, expressing deep concern over the apparent lack of process and governance. Similar statements came from the Football Association of Wales, the Irish FA and the Scottish FA, all of which requested a full, transparent presentation of the plan before forming an opinion. The European Leagues, representing more than 1,000 clubs across 31 countries, also condemned the scheme, a stance supported by the Premier League.
Tensions between UEFA and FIFA have already been high, with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin refusing to attend the World Cup final in protest over a series of governance disputes, including the handling of the Folarin Balogun case. The controversy has been amplified by the fact that the proposal emerged quietly, without being raised at the pre‑World Cup meetings in New York. Media outlets such as the Financial Times and The Times were the first to report the plan, catching many national associations off guard. UEFA’s statement warned that “the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade,” emphasizing that no one – not even FIFA – owns the sport and that any commercialisation must be transparent and serve the broader football community.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas echoed these concerns, arguing that mixing politics, discipline, money and power without openness makes any leader unfit to govern. FIFA later clarified that the new structure would remain a subsidiary, not the organisation itself, and that it would retain sole control over football governance, competition formats, the international match calendar and all regulatory decisions. JP Morgan has been appointed as financial adviser, while Thrive Capital – led by Josh Kushner, brother‑in‑law of former US President Donald Trump’s son‑in‑law – is expected to head the investor group. Infantino maintains that the initiative will “democratise football worldwide” by channeling a larger share of commercial revenues back into development projects.
He described football as “the world’s most popular sport and an extraordinary engine of human and social development,” adding that the commercial side of the game has generated “remarkable value” that should be reinvested to lift the sport at all levels. While the governing body dismissed rumours that Infantino might become chief executive of the new entity after his presidential term ends, it acknowledged that both the president and FIFA’s administration would need to play leading roles in any subsidiary to ensure compliance with FIFA statutes and to protect the interests of member associations. FIFA, a not‑for‑profit entity owned by its 211 members, enjoys tax‑exempt status in Switzerland. Its projected revenue for the 2022‑26 cycle is about $15 billion (£11.26 billion), driven largely by television rights, sponsorship deals and ticket sales from the men’s World Cup.
The next major tournament will be the women’s World Cup in Brazil. Industry commentator Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports summed up the mood: “It’s shocking how nothing is shocking any more.
After a wildly successful World Cup that generated more money than anyone could spend, Infantino sees a future where a private‑investor‑backed subsidiary handles FIFA’s tournaments. The short‑term payoff could be a massive pot of cash for member associations, but the real question is whether they will accept the terms.
If they reject the plan, the pot could shrink from £7.5 billion to £2 billion. The level of opposition mirrors the backlash that killed the European Super League, suggesting that this proposal may also falter under the weight of fan, club and association resistance."