The football world was shaken in recent hours after UEFA pushed for a boycott of FIFA following the announcement of Gianni Infantino‘s proposal to use private investment to fund tournaments such as the World Cup. It was eventually confirmed that the commercial proposals would not move forward, and European football’s governing body criticized the strategy promoted by FIFA’s president.
In a strongly worded statement published on its official Instagram page, UEFA criticized Infantino’s failure to deliver on the promises he made when he was elected president, while also outlining the changes FIFA will need to face moving forward. “UEFA welcomes FIFA’s decision to withdraw its plan to sell a stake in its competitions, including the World Cup, into private hands,” the statement began.
“Of course we have to be transparent,” Infantino said at the time. “FIFA’s money is your money. It is not the money of the FIFA president.” UEFA strongly responded: “On both of these promises, he has failed to deliver.”
Despite believing it has won the first battle, UEFA still considers that this is only the beginning: “This is a victory for the whole game. But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in FIFA has only just begun.”
General view outside FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) global headquarters.
What was Infantino’s proposal?
FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposed creating a new commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), valued at $20 billion, to handle FIFA’s commercial and event operations, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. Under the plan, FIFA would sell a 20% minority stake to private equity investors—raising up to $4.2 billion—in exchange for a share of future profits.
Infantino argued the move would “democratize” football by allowing FIFA to double development funding to $20 million for each of its 211 member federations. However, after fierce opposition from UEFA and other regional bodies over the commercialization of the sport, Infantino ultimately withdrew the proposal.
Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, speaks during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The strong rejection
The proposal met fierce resistance from key football governing bodies, who argued that handing a stake in FIFA’s commercial rights to private investors would undermine the sport’s integrity and long-term control. Opposition grew rapidly as AFC joined UEFA and Concacaf in firmly rejecting the plan, presenting a united front that ultimately forced FIFA to shelve the project.
