UEFA Condemns FIFA’s $20 Billion World Cup Venture Plan Amid Governance Concerns

FIFA President is seeking to sell shares in a proposed World Cup spin-off venture, a plan that has already sparked divisions within world football and drawn sharp criticism from UEFA.

FIFA confirmed it is exploring the creation of a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, valued at $20 billion (£15 billion). Under the proposal, the governing body would sell a 25% stake by raising $4.2 billion (£3.16 billion) from external investors.

The proposal has been strongly opposed by European football’s governing body, , which said the move “crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross.”

UEFA said the plan should concern every national football association, league, club, player, supporter and government, warning that football’s governance should not become a commercial asset.

“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade,” UEFA said, adding that football does not belong to FIFA to sell and raising concerns over the lack of transparency regarding who could financially benefit from the venture.

According to Sky News, one senior global football official reacted to the proposal by saying: “We will kill it.”

The development comes as FIFA continues to consider expanding the men’s World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, a move that could allow Infantino to remain involved in overseeing the tournament in a lucrative role beyond 2031, when current FIFA presidential term limits require him to step down.

Infantino must still win re-election next year to serve what would be his final four-year term as FIFA president.

Relations between FIFA and UEFA have already been strained. During the recent World Cup, UEFA accused FIFA of undermining the integrity of the competition after lifting the immediate suspension of United States striker following direct appeals from U.S. President .

Responding to the criticism, Infantino defended the proposed commercial restructuring, saying it is intended to generate more funding for FIFA’s member associations.

“Our next stage of growth needs a structure built for it, one where the commercial side of the game operates as a focused, dedicated business, with its value shared more and better all around the world,” Infantino said.

He added that every FIFA member association should have the opportunity to access a fair share of available funding and shape its own future independently, describing the proposal as part of the “democratisation of football worldwide.”