- Fifa president Gianni Infantino is proposing to sell stakes in the World Cup and other major tournaments to external investors, creating a new subsidiary called ‘Fifa Forward Enterprises (FFE)’ open to capital investment.
- Infantino is attempting to secure support from Fifa’s 211 member associations by offering a "one-off" payment of $20m, while also increasing their “Fifa Forward” funding from $8m to $20m for the 2027-2031 cycle if they back the plan.
- Member associations have been given 53 days to decide, with a vote scheduled for 19 September, and are warned they would miss out on $30m in funding if the proposals are not approved.
- The plans have faced strong criticism from Uefa and Concacaf, with Uefa accusing Fifa of trying to sell the game's "soul" and the FA expressing "deep concern" over the lack of process, though Infantino has allies in other federations.
- The proposed investment, potentially led by Thrive Eternal, a company associated with Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, could raise $4.2bn.
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