UEFA, Concacaf, AFC unite against Infantino World Cup private equity plan

Three of FIFA's six continental confederations have rejected president Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell a 20% stake in World Cup operations to private equity investors, with Europe's soccer body announcing it will boycott all FIFA competitions if the plan moves forward.

Europe's 55 member associations voted unanimously and unequivocally after an emergency meeting on Thursday, per ESPN reporting. Concacaf, representing 41 members including 2026 World Cup hosts the United States, Canada, and Mexico, rejected the proposal the same day. The Asian Football Confederation joined them Friday, bringing the total opposition to 143 of FIFA's 211 member associations. The plan requires a majority vote to pass, meaning the three confederations' combined opposition now makes approval mathematically impossible without major defections.

Infantino's scheme would create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new entity structured to raise $20 billion in exchange for investor influence over World Cup broadcasting, commercial deals, and future tournaments across a 12-year span. Joshua Kushner's Thrive Eternal has been earmarked as the lead of the investor group, according to ESPN. Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. The proposal promised over $80 million in payouts to each of FIFA's 211 member associations between now and 2037.

UEFA stated, per ESPN's reporting, that "The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale." The confederation cited lack of meaningful consultation and called FIFA's handling a "profound failure of leadership" and "an abdication of FIFA's duty as the custodian of world football." UEFA noted that "the moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure."

Concacaf took issue with "the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies." The confederation instructed its FIFA Council members to determine how FIFA's existing reserves could fund FIFA Forward instead, according to ESPN. The AFC, according to ESPN reporting, highlighted that until Tuesday's media reports, member associations were unaware of the plans. The confederation stated it stands in solidarity with UEFA and Concacaf and called for an "urgent review" of FIFA's consultation and decision-making framework.

Infantino had set a Sept. 19 deadline for member acceptance, with a formal vote scheduled for March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. FIFA defended itself Friday, stating "nobody is selling football" and blaming "erroneous reporting in the media" for criticism, per ESPN. The body vowed to press ahead with consultation despite the opposition.

The AFC noted this is "not the first occasion where major stakeholders have been confronted with significant initiatives after the direction of travel appears to have already been determined." The first test of UEFA's boycott stance will arrive in September when Poland is set to host the Women's U20 World Cup, according to ESPN reporting.