Infantino defends sale of the World Cup, emphasizing that it is 'a golden opportunity'

The uproar caused by the possible partial sale of the World Cup and the Club World Cup has now been addressed by the man at the center of it all. Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), justified his plan in the face of a wave of criticism from every corner of the soccer world.

On Tuesday, the British newspaper The Times reported that Infantino's intentions to sell 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 JP Morgan and by Thrive Eternal, an investment fund created by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner—son-in-law and diplomatic right-hand man to President Donald Trump—.

In a video released by FIFA and viewed by AFP, Infantino—who would take on the role of commissioner of the FFE, establishing a governance structure similar to that of the NBA, NFL or MLB—defended his proposal, describing it as "an opportunity" to increase revenue and capitalize on the brand represented by soccer and, specifically, the aforementioned leagues.

Likewise, the FIFA president emphasized that his plan will be part of "a democratic process," after various confederations—such as the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and figures such as his predecessor, Joseph Blatter, have denounced the lack of transparency in this alleged process.

"FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, is actually a proposal, an offer. It's part of a democratic process – a consultation process – and, above all, it is an opportunity but not an obligation," Infantino said. "It is a golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally. But again, it is just an offer, not an obligation."

Regarding its alleged partners, the FIFA president said that an operation of this nature "requires additional expertise, additional insight, distinct from governing and developing the sport."

"It would simply commercialize and organize all FIFA-owned competitions along with sponsorship, broadcast, licensing and new ventures for the benefit of FIFA's 211 member associations," he stated, adding that this plan would "benefit" everyone, including fans.