New Delhi: FIFA on Friday defended its proposed private investment initiative after facing criticism from several football stakeholders, insisting that “nobody is selling football” and reaffirming its commitment to an open and democratic consultation process with all 211 member associations.
The clarification comes after reports of strong opposition to the proposal, with UEFA indicating it could consider boycotting the FIFA World Cup if plans to establish a commercial subsidiary with private investment move forward.
In a statement, FIFA said its consultation process had been disrupted by what it described as incorrect media reports and stressed that every member association must have the opportunity to evaluate the proposal before any decision is made.
The governing body said it has taken note of concerns raised by continental confederations, including UEFA and CONCACAF, but emphasised that no single organisation can claim to represent the views of all FIFA member associations.
FIFA reiterated that the proposed initiative, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), would only proceed if it receives the support of a majority of its member associations. If the proposal is not approved, FIFA said its existing commercial operations would remain unchanged and the new entity would not be created.
According to FIFA, the proposed commercial venture could generate up to $4.2 billion, based on an estimated company valuation of $20 billion. The governing body said the additional revenue would significantly increase financial support for its member associations.
Under the proposal, each of FIFA’s 211 member associations would receive a one time payment of $20 million in early 2027. Funding allocated to each association for the 2027 to 2030 cycle would also increase from $8 million to $20 million, subject to approval of the plan.
FIFA maintained that the consultation process will continue to ensure every member association can assess the proposal based on factual information and cast its vote independently. The organisation said the initiative reflects FIFA’s democratic principles by giving all member associations an equal opportunity to shape the future of world football.
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