‘Nobody is selling football’ — FIFA reacts to UEFA World Cup boycott threat
By Adegboyega Adeleye
World football governing body FIFA has defended its controversial proposal to bring private investment into the FIFA World Cup, insisting that “nobody is selling football” after UEFA and several continental confederations threatened to boycott its competitions.
In a statement released on Friday, FIFA said it would continue its consultation process on the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial subsidiary that would oversee the World Cup and other major tournaments, despite mounting opposition from European football authorities.
“We have heard the feedback provided by the respective confederations,” FIFA said.
“We respect the feedback and concern aired in public and reaffirm our commitment to an open and democratic consultation.
“We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each member association has the ability to express its vote based on facts.”
Addressing the central criticism surrounding the proposal, FIFA declared: “Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain.”
The governing body added that the proposed FFE was designed to allow all 211 member associations to benefit from football’s commercial growth without compromising the sport’s governance.
“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, and that this does not come at the cost of either the spirit or the governance of FIFA or football itself,” the statement added.
FIFA also rejected suggestions that the decision had already been made, stressing that the project would not proceed without majority backing from its member associations.
“Each Member Association should be allowed to review the proposal and have a say in shaping their own future,” FIFA said.
The statement comes less than 24 hours after UEFA’s 55 member associations unanimously voted to boycott all FIFA competitions if the governing body proceeds with plans to open a minority stake in its commercial arm to private investors.
CONCACAF has also ‘rejected’ the proposal, while the Asian Football Confederation criticised FIFA over what it described as a lack of consultation with continental bodies.
The growing backlash follows FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s proposal to establish the FIFA Forward Enterprise, with American investment firm Thrive Eternal expected to lead a consortium seeking a minority stake in the new venture.
FIFA maintains the initiative would generate unprecedented development funding for member associations and insists the consultation process remains ongoing.
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