FIFA will not proceed with a proposal to sell a minority stake in its commercial business to private investors, president Gianni Infantino has confirmed, after the plan faced widespread opposition from football stakeholders around the world.
The project was intended to operate through a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), with the governing body planning to sell about 20% of the business.
Reports valued the company at $20bn and suggested FIFA hoped to raise as much as $4.2bn for investment in football development.
However, the proposal drew criticism from several football confederations, while concerns grew that it was creating divisions within the global game rather than supporting FIFA’s stated aim of uniting football.
In an official statement, FIFA said the project had moved away from its original purpose. The governing body said it had considered the views of stakeholders before deciding that the plans should be withdrawn.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” FIFA said.
“Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
The plans attracted particular resistance from UEFA. Reports claimed that all 55 of its member associations supported opposition to the proposed investment structure.
Concerns were also raised by other confederations, including Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The debate contributed to the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino and former US Soccer president.
The proposal also came under scrutiny after reports connected it to a New York investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner. Critics questioned the scale of private investment being considered, as well as the governance and transparency surrounding FIFA Forward Enterprise.
FIFA’s decision brings an end to one of the most controversial commercial proposals in the organisation’s recent history. The governing body will now turn its attention to finding alternative ways to expand and develop football globally.
Infantino has pledged to work with football stakeholders to examine other options for growing the game around the world.
The collapse of the plan follows a period of increasing debate over how FIFA should use its commercial strength to fund football development, while maintaining confidence among its confederations and member associations.
FIFA had presented the proposed investment as a way to generate substantial additional funding, with the potential $4.2bn proceeds earmarked for development. But opposition intensified as questions emerged over the role of private investors and the structure of the proposed subsidiary.
The governing body ultimately concluded that the level of division created by the project was incompatible with its broader objective.
The decision shifts the focus back to FIFA’s future development strategy and its relationship with the organisations that make up the global game.
