Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has criticised plans to establish a $20bn commercial subsidiary linked to the World Cup, warning that football’s biggest international tournament should remain a global asset rather than become a vehicle for private investment.
Blatter, who led world football’s governing body for 17 years before leaving office in 2015, has strongly opposed the proposal put forward by current FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The plan would allow private equity investors to acquire a minority stake of up to 20% in the World Cup, according to the article.
Blatter believes the move represents an excessive shift towards commercialising the sport and has questioned whether such an approach is compatible with football’s wider purpose.
“Football belongs to no individual and to no institution. It belongs to the people,” Blatter explained in comments to Reuters.
“If FIFA were transferred into a profit-oriented corporate structure, it would lose its soul,” he added.
The comments from the former FIFA president come as opposition to Infantino’s financial proposal grows among major figures and institutions within European football.
The proposed $20bn subsidiary has become a source of controversy because of the potential involvement of private equity investors in one of football’s most important competitions.
Critics of the plan argue that allowing outside investors to take a financial stake could place commercial considerations ahead of the traditions and wider interests associated with the World Cup.
Blatter’s intervention adds to the pressure facing FIFA’s leadership as it attempts to advance the proposal.
The former president, who spent almost two decades at the head of the organisation, has expressed concern about what he sees as a fundamental change in the priorities of international football.
He argued that global tournaments should ultimately serve supporters and the wider football community rather than primarily benefiting corporate interests.
European football’s governing body UEFA has also publicly opposed the project.
UEFA issued a strong statement on Tuesday, warning about the implications of the proposed commercial structure and raising concerns over transparency.
The organisation questioned whether FIFA and its executives have the right to use global competitions as assets for private investment.
“UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game,” UEFA stated on Tuesday.
The disagreement highlights a wider dispute over how international football should be governed and how revenues generated by its biggest competitions should be managed.
At the centre of the controversy is Infantino’s proposal to create a new commercial subsidiary worth $20bn, with private equity investors potentially gaining access to a minority share of the World Cup.
Supporters of the plan are not detailed in the article, but the proposal has already attracted significant resistance from UEFA and Blatter.
The former FIFA president’s criticism is particularly significant because of his long association with the organisation and his 17-year tenure as its leader.
Blatter’s warning that FIFA could “lose its soul” if it moved towards a profit-oriented corporate structure reflects his broader concern that football’s identity could be weakened by increased commercialisation.
The dispute now leaves FIFA’s current leadership facing the challenge of securing wider support for its financial ambitions.
With UEFA and other stakeholders raising objections, the proposal has intensified debate over the balance between football’s commercial potential and its traditional role as a sport belonging to supporters and communities around the world.
The controversy is therefore not simply about a $20bn financial proposal, but also about who should benefit from football’s biggest global competition and who should have a say in its future.
As opposition continues to emerge, Infantino and FIFA face a difficult task in persuading football’s stakeholders that the proposed commercial model is in the best interests of the game.
