All-out war against the idea of 'privatizing' the World Cup: 'It is not FIFA's to sell'

The news that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is planning to sell part of the World Cup's commercial operations to private investment funds has caused an absolute upheaval in the most-watched and most-followed sport on the planet. Some of the six confederations that make up soccer's governing body reacted to the news first reported by The Times, expressing categorical rejection.

The British newspaper revealed on Tuesday that Gianni Infantino is working to exponentially increase revenue, embrace a more commercial approach to soccer, and change the governance paradigm of the world's most popular sport. His plan involves selling a minority stake in the World Cup—both the men's and women's tournaments—and the Club World Cup to a subsidiary company called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), managed by J.P. Morgan and Thrive Eternal, an investment fund created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, who is the son-in-law and diplomatic right-hand man of President Donald Trump. The FIFA president would assume the role of commissioner of the FFE, establishing a governance structure similar to that of the NBA, NFL or MLB.

"It is not FIFA's to sell"

Once the news broke, reactions were quick to follow. One of the first came from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which brings together 55 confederations from Europe. In a statement, UEFA expressed its total opposition to Infantino's proposal, emphasizing that it is not FIFA's place to commercialize tournaments such as the World Cup and the Club World Cup, while also condemning the lack of transparency.

"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," UEFA stated.

"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," it added.

It should be noted that UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and Infantino have clashed on numerous occasions over various soccer projects that have emerged in recent years.

"We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process"

Another rejection came from the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), which sided with UEFA in highlighting the lack of transparency in FIFA's plan. Furthermore, it lodged a verbal complaint about having first learned of the news through the press rather than via a formal communication from the body chaired by Infantino.

"Concacaf was only made aware of this matter through media reports and, subsequently, via a media release. We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process. We share the disappointment of many within our region and the game that this level of detail has been designed and shared publicly before any discussion with the relevant governance bodies and stakeholders has taken place," it said in a statement. "As leaders within football, we are the custodians of the game. Collectively, FIFA, the Confederations and every Member Association have a responsibility to always act in the best interests of the sport. Every decision we make must be guided by good governance, robust processes and long-term stewardship."

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), another of FIFA's six constituent bodies, expressed its opposition via a statement. "The AFC was not consulted on the proposal and is disappointed that a matter of such significance entered the public domain before the AFC family had been afforded the opportunity to examine and discuss it through the appropriate and established governance channels," it wrote.

"The AFC firmly believes that all stakeholders should be provided with sufficient information and adequate time to assess the proposal in full, including its governance, legal, commercial and strategic implications. Such a process is essential to ensuring that any decision reflects the collective interests of the global football community and reinforces confidence in FIFA's governance framework," it added.

Blatter takes aim at Infantino and Trump

Infantino's proposal was also criticized by his predecessor. Former FIFA President Joseph Blatter took aim directly at his successor and at Trump: "The close relationship between the FIFA President and the US President has reached a financial dimension that is deeply damaging football. No one has the right to sell our game."

Several national soccer federations highlighted the lack of transparency surrounding this project. "We were completely unaware of this proposal and have no substantive details, including what the proposition actually is, and what conditions are attached. Based on the limited information, we are deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance to get to this point, and the apparent substance and principles involved," said the English Football Association (F.A.).

"We learned through a press release about a very significant proposal about which we had no details. And which ... raises many questions without the federations—which are members (of FIFA)— have any specific information to be able to comment on issues that are, obviously, fundamental to the future of soccer," said Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation (FFF), in an interview on the French radio station France Inter.

Following the wave of criticism, it remains to be seen whether FIFA decides to move forward with its proposal and put it to a vote among member federations.