The Fifa investment plan is facing fierce resistance after European football’s governing body and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham criticized proposals that would bring private money into the sport’s biggest competitions, including the World Cup. Fifa says the plan would expand football development funding beyond $10bn and create a new vehicle for outside investment, but critics say it risks turning the game into a commercial asset.
The issue centers on Fifa Forward Enterprise, a new subsidiary that Fifa says would take minority, non-controlling investments from third parties while consolidating commercial and event operations. The plan still needs approval from Fifa’s 211 member nations. If it goes ahead, Fifa says Thrive Eternal is expected to lead the investor group. Thrive is an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, who is the brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Fifa has said it is not discussing Gianni Infantino, or anyone else, taking the chief executive role at the new company. The organization has also said Infantino and the wider body have a duty to guide the project, though it has not explained in detail what that means. Fifa says it would keep control of FFE and retain exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, the international match calendar, and all regulatory and sporting decisions.
Infantino argued that the sport should spread its wealth more widely. He said that parts of football have already turned popularity into major commercial value, and that Fifa’s role is to make sure development reaches every part of the game. Under the proposal, each member association could access up to $20m in one-time capital for development projects.
Uefa rejected that logic in unusually blunt terms. In its response, the European governing body said the proposal “crosses a line” and warned that the soul and governance of football are not things to be traded. Uefa also said it was troubled by the lack of transparency over who would benefit financially and urged national associations and other stakeholders to take the matter seriously.
