Infantino rejects 'selling football' claims over FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal

FIFA has defended its controversial proposal to partially privatise the commercial operations of future World Cups, insisting that reports suggesting it is "selling football" are inaccurate and misleading.

In a statement released on Friday, world football's governing body said much of the criticism surrounding the proposal stemmed from "erroneous reporting in the media" and sought to clarify the objectives of its planned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative.

Under the proposal, FIFA plans to establish a new subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to oversee all commercial activities linked to its global competitions.

The subsidiary would manage: Broadcasting rights, sponsorship agreements, licensing, ticketing and commercial event operations.

FIFA would retain permanent ownership and control of the company while selling a minority stake to private investors to raise additional capital.

According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the initiative could generate up to $20 billion in new investment, significantly increasing funding available for football development across the globe.

One of the proposal's biggest selling points is increased financial support for FIFA's 211 member associations.

FIFA said every federation would continue to receive $20 million through the FIFA Forward Development Programme between 2027 and 2030, regardless of whether they support the proposal.

In addition, the governing body has introduced a voluntary FIFA Fast Forward Programme, which would provide a one-off payment of another $20 million to each association using funds generated from external investment.

Infantino has urged member associations to support the initiative before the September 19 deadline, warning that failure to approve the proposal could mean missing out on funding worth up to $40 million per country.

Despite FIFA's assurances, opposition to the proposal has intensified.

UEFA has reportedly voted unanimously to boycott future FIFA World Cups should the plan move forward.

CONCACAF has also rejected the proposal outright, while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) described the initiative as "totally unacceptable."

The dispute echoes UEFA's successful resistance to Infantino's proposal to stage the FIFA World Cup every two years in 2021.

Should UEFA maintain its stance, the first major test could come with the 2026 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by Poland later this year.

Responding directly to criticism, FIFA insisted the proposal is designed solely to improve football development worldwide.

"FFE has been proposed solely to ensure that all FIFA Member Associations have the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of the commercial opportunity of football in their respective countries," FIFA said.

The organisation strongly rejected claims that the move amounts to privatising world football.

FIFA added, "Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain. Everyone has the right to express their opposition and to seek further clarification, but no single entity can claim to represent all 211 Member Associations around the world. Each Member Association should be allowed to review the proposal and have a say in shaping their own future."