Overview
- UEFA and its 55 national associations met in an emergency session on Thursday and issued a formal, unanimous rejection of FIFA’s proposal, warning no UEFA national team will take part in FIFA competitions while the plan stands.
- FIFA has proposed creating FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial subsidiary valuing World Cup rights at about $20 billion and selling roughly 20% to private investors to raise several billion dollars, according to multiple reports.
- Gianni Infantino sent letters to FIFA’s 211 member federations setting a September 19 deadline to opt in and offering reported immediate payments of $20 million to participants, with warnings that funding could be cut for those who refuse.
- The project is reported to involve JPMorgan as adviser and Thrive/Thrive Eternal, linked to Joshua Kushner, as lead investor candidate, and press reports say Infantino could take an executive role in the new company from 2031, details opponents call a governance risk.
- Responses beyond Europe are mixed: some confederations express concern and demand transparency while others show interest in new funding, and the dispute threatens near-term tournaments and could reshape power, commercial rules, and the 2027 FIFA election dynamics.