FIFA Boots $20B Investment Plan After Pushback From Soccer Leaders
Friday, July 31, 2026 at 02:44PM By Barry Janoff
UPDATED August 1, 2026 via AP Sports: FIFA President Gianni Infantino is abandoning his divisive plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity after receiving pushback from all corners of the soccer world.
Infantino’s decision came after his senior adviser who sat on a White House panel resigned and Asia’s soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing it.
“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,” Infantino said in a statement on Friday. “Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.” (Full story here.)
UPDATED July 31 via ESPN: European nations agreed to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, after an emergency meeting on Thursday resolved to "unequivocally reject" FIFA president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to a private equity group.
Infantino's proposal was later dealt another major blow when North America's soccer body Concacaf (the 41-member Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), joined European counterpart UEFA in rejecting the plan.
Pressure on FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his divisive plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity grew Friday as his senior adviser who sat on a White House panel resigned and Asia’s soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing it.
UPDATED July 30 via AP Sports: European nations agreed Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions to protest Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in soccer’s biggest tournament to private equity investors.
“UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European soccer body said after an urgent online meeting of its 55 member nations.
The next scheduled FIFA tournament is within weeks in Europe — the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5 — and the four British federations comprise FIFA’s only bidder to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup. That decision is due Nov. 23.
“Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”
July 29, 2026: Following the largest World Cup in its history, FIFA has unveiled a major proposal that would change and impact the organization and global sport.
The FIFA administration said it is exploring the concept of “bringing together FIFA’s commercial rights — spanning broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing, and licensing — with the operational delivery of FIFA tournaments through the creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).”
FIFA said a consultation process has begun “following the receipt of a proposal that aims to unlock the full potential of FIFA’s broadcast rights and sponsorships across all of its tournament portfolio in men’s, women’s and youth football.”
FIFA has valued the plan at upward of $20 billion.
There was immediate pushback from global soccer organizations, led by UEFA (Union of European Football Associations)and its 55 member national associations, with its five member federations with the biggest soccer leagues being England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
According to FIFA, “If approved, football development in every corner of the world would benefit immediately from increased funding available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations (MAs):
“An optional $20 million per MA in exceptional and immediate funding for special projects from the new FIFA Fast Forward Program funding for 2027-2030 (currently budgeted $8 million); $22 million per MA in Forward funding for 2031-2034; and $24 million per MA in Forward funding for 2035-2038.
“Football is the world’s most popular sport and an extraordinary engine of human and social development," said FIFA president Gianni Infantino said via the organization. "Parts of the game have turned that popularity into remarkable commercial value — and we celebrate that success and want it to continue, because it lifts the whole game. Our job is to make sure the rest of football grows with it: FIFA exists to support sustainable, inclusive development in every corner of the world.
“As its global governing body, FIFA is responsible for making sure the game reaches every corner of the world, and that the value it creates supports federations and communities everywhere. Our next stage of growth needs a structure built for it, one where the commercial side of the game operates as a focused, dedicated business, with its value shared more and better all around the world.”
According to Infantino, “Every FIFA Member Association should have an opportunity to seek a fair share of the available funding to shape its own future, deciding for itself rather than relying on others. This is about the democratization of football worldwide.
The proposal is two steps removed from the White House.
The proposal is backed by Thrive Capital, the investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner, who is the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump.
According to UEFA, “Today (July 28) we have learned of FIFA's deadline to associations to support their proposals or have the one-off payout offer withdrawn,” UEFA leaders said via the organization. This says everything you need to know about this plan.
“This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously."
“But having held discussions with many stakeholders across the game, UEFA knows there is significant and growing opposition to FIFA's scheme. FIFA cannot continue to use our sport to enrich themselves and their friends. We can grow the game correctly. It's time to prioritize associations, clubs, leagues, players and fans."
“This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross. 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. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade -- especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially.
“None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell.”
On July 29, Infantino set a Sept. 19 deadline on for the 211 member federations to approve his proposed private investment plan, which would give each association access to up to $40 million in funding, according to AP Sports and ESPN.
As part of FFE, FIFA said it would establish the FIFA Fast Forward Program, “an optional mechanism that would allow MAs to unlock additional development funding. This would unlock new opportunities for projects such as stadiums and national training centers, and other long-term infrastructure that may otherwise sit beyond the reach of a single development cycle.”
According to FIFA,”Many major sporting organizations, including continental and national football governing bodies and leagues, have restructured their commercial operations in similar ways in recent years, in pursuit of the same long-term goal – sustainable growth that can be reinvested in the sport itself.”
FIFA said that as part of this process, J.P. Morgan has been engaged to work alongside FIFA, while other advisers such as OpenEconomics are engaging with prospective long-term investors.
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