FIFA president, Gianni Infantino wants to sell a piece of the World Cup, literally, causing football’s governing bodies to be furious. Here is what “selling stakes” means in plain English, and why UEFA is calling it a betrayal.
What FIFA is actually doing: FIFA is creating a new company called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would take over the commercial rights to the men’s and women’s World Cup and the Club World Cup, things like broadcasting deals, sponsorships, ticketing, and merchandise licensing. FIFA wants to sell a small, non-controlling ownership slice of this new company to private investors for approximately $4.2 billion.
In plain terms: Think of it as a company selling shares on the stock market, except instead of Apple or Tesla, the “company” is the commercial machine behind the World Cup itself. FIFA would still run the actual football side of it, but this time, private investors would now own a financial stake in the money the tournament generates.
Who’s involved: FIFA president is partnering with Thrive Eternal, an investment firm run by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law. J.P. Morgan has also been brought in as financial adviser on the deal.
Why UEFA is angry: European football’s governing body called the plan a line that “football’s governing institutions should never cross,” while insisting the World Cup “was never anyone’s to sell.” UEFA president argued that once part of the tournament belongs to private investors, football’s traditions and decision-making could start bending toward profit motives instead of the sport itself.
Meanwhile, the plan needs approval from a majority of FIFA’s 211 member associations and its 37-member council, meaning the fight is really just getting started.
