FIFA President Gianni Infantino's proposal to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company valued at an initial $20 billion, to manage and commercialize FIFA's competitions, including the World Cup, has sparked a fierce backlash from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The plan involves raising up to $4.2 billion by selling minority, non-controlling stakes to long-term investors, with J.P. Morgan assisting in the process. Notably, Thrive Eternal, founded by Joshua Kushner, is among the potential investors.
UEFA, representing 55 FIFA members, strongly condemned the initiative, stating that it "crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross" and that "the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade." They emphasize that the World Cup "is not FIFA's to sell" and raised concerns about a lack of transparency regarding financial beneficiaries. This opposition echoes past resistance from UEFA to Infantino's 2018 proposal for a $25 billion deal with SoftBank for new global competitions.
The proposed FFE structure would see FIFA retaining a majority stake, while its 211 national member federations, which must approve the plan, would each have the opportunity to access up to $20 million in one-off capital. Reports also suggest the potential creation of a CEO-like commissioner role for Infantino within the new entity after his FIFA presidency, though FIFA stated that while the president would have a leading role, a specific *commissioner* role has not been discussed. The plan also involves consultations with the Donald Trump administration, with J.P. Morgan managing the transaction.
