Explainer | World Cup for sale? Why UEFA, CONCACAF rejected FIFA’s proposal

FIFA President Gianni Infantino seems to have jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. After being heavily criticised for several controversial decisions in the run-up to and during the World Cup 2026, the 56-year-old has courted a fresh controversy with the plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors.

As per Infantino’s proposal, FIFA's commercial operations will be spun off into a new $20 billion subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The global football body would move media rights, sponsorship, licensing and commercial operations for its tournaments into FFE. FIFA plans to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling stakes to outside investors. If each of its 211 member associations accept the plan by September 19, they would see their allocation for the 2027-2030 cycle rise from $8 million to $20 million, according to AFP.

Infantino has projected a total funding through 2038 of $86 million per member, compared to $36 million under the current model. The lead investor is reported to be a New York investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

What did UEFA say to FIFA’s proposal?

European nations, on Thursday, declared they will boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions in protest against Infantino's plan, following an emergency online meeting of its 55 member nations. "Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale."

"The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever," UEFA warned. "Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure." The football body further condemned Infantino’s move in the strongly-worded statement: "This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA's duty as the custodian of world football."

"As a result of today's discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership."

Infantino once served as the UEFA general secretary before his election to FIFA's top post in 2016.

How did other football federations react to Infantino’s plan?

The opposition to Infantino’s plan extended beyond Europe. Later the same day, North America's football confederation also rejected the proposal. The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) said its 41 members "expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies". It also questioned the need for outside investment, especially "following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history."

CONCACAF, which includes the 2026 World Cup co-hosts US, Mexico and Canada, however stopped short of joining UEFA's call for a boycott of FIFA tournaments.

Even Infantino's traditional support base in Asia voiced concerns over the proposal. Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned of the risks in a letter to the 46 members. "FIFA's unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football." The letter added that "such an initiative will not succeed without the support of all the confederations, which is not the case now".

How will it affect FIFA tournaments in future?

Interestingly, the developments come at a time when the next FIFA tournament – the Women's Under-20 World Cup – is set to begin in Poland on September 5.

In addition, the four British federations are currently FIFA's only bidder to host the 2035 Women's World Cup, with a decision on the matter due on November 23. The 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil would lose its star teams if European nations were to stay away.

A boycott by UEFA would lower the sporting and commercial value of almost every FIFA tournament, as six of the top 10 ranked teams in both men's and women's football are from Europe. Six of the eight quarter-finalists at the 2026 World Cup were UEFA nations, including world champions Spain, France and England.

Also, Spain and Portugal are set to co-host the 2030 men's World Cup with Morocco.

Europe also plays a key role in football finances, with UEFA's club competitions, led by the Champions League, bringing in €4.4 billion ($5 billion) in the 2024-25 season, according to Reuters.

Is Infantino’s presidency re-election in danger?

The 56-year-old seemed to have a clear path to re-election for a fourth and final term, which would extend through 2031, after the World Cup final in New Jersey. But, the weather seems to have changed overnight. Anger and frustration are mounting among key stakeholders, including at least three of the six continental governing bodies.

FIFA has set a November 18 deadline for potential candidates to declare for the presidential election set to held next March in Rabat, Morocco.

There are reports that Infantino may be eyeing a commissioner-like role at the FFE spinoff after his presidential term ends in 2031, if he gets re-elected.