UEFA and CONCACAF reject FIFA's $20 billion World Cup investment plan

Fifa's plan to sell a stake in a new $20 billion commercial entity is at risk after Europe's football confederation said it would boycott Fifa competitions, and North and Central American football officials separately rejected the plan, according to the Financial Times and other outlets.

Uefa, which governs football in Europe, said on Thursday that all 55 of its members had unanimously agreed not to take part in any Fifa competition in response to the plan. The confederation said the World Cup should never be treated as an investment product.

Concacaf, the governing body for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, also rejected the plan the same day. The confederation said it remained committed to transparent governance and long-term stewardship of the sport. It pointed to Fifa's 2015 corruption scandal as a reason to be cautious about outside financial involvement.

What Fifa is proposing

Fifa president Gianni Infantino unveiled the plan on Tuesday. It would create a new commercial subsidiary, reported by multiple outlets as FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, to hold the World Cup's broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing, and licensing rights. Fifa would keep majority control, while selling roughly 20 percent of the new entity to outside investors.

Thrive Eternal, an investment fund run by Joshua Kushner, has been named as the lead investor. Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Reuters reported that banking firm JP Morgan has also been named among the investors.

Fifa has said the plan would let it channel new funding to its 211 member football associations.

A disputed number

Reports differ on the exact payment Fifa has offered its members in exchange for approving the plan. The Financial Times reported the figure at $20 million upfront per member association, subject to a vote scheduled for September 19. Other outlets, including Reuters, Al Jazeera, and CNN, reported that Infantino offered $40 million per member association as part of a $10 billion package available from January 2027, if approved by the same September 19 deadline. Those reports said that if members reject the plan, a smaller $2.7 billion package would apply instead, working out to roughly $10 million per association.

This discrepancy has not been independently resolved and should be treated as an open question pending further confirmation from FIFA.

Confederations push back

UEFA's rejection came after what a person on the call described as a unanimous show of support during an emergency meeting, with the majority of its 55 members speaking in favor of the boycott. England's Football Association said it stood alongside its European counterparts.

CONCACAF's statement came just days after the United States, Canada, and Mexico jointly hosted the men's World Cup, an event FIFA expects to generate more than $15 billion in revenue.

The Asian Football Confederation also criticized the plan. AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa wrote to the confederation's 47 member associations, saying Fifa had not consulted the AFC before announcing the plan. He called the lack of consultation unacceptable and asked member associations to wait for further discussion with FIFA before taking a position. The AFC's 47 members include national federations across the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Together, UEFA's 55 members, CONCACAF's 41 members, and the AFC's 47 members represent 143 of Fifa's 211 member associations that have either rejected the plan outright or expressed serious concerns, according to Al Jazeera's reporting.

Political and regulatory reaction

Glenn Micallef, the European Union's commissioner for sport, said this week that Brussels would examine the plan under the bloc's antitrust powers. He said he supported Uefa's position and praised European football associations for standing firm on governance principles.

French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo said his organization had also not been informed of the plan in advance, and said the involvement of outside investment funds raised significant questions.

What happens next

The next Fifa-organized competition on the calendar is the Women's Under-20 World Cup, which Poland is set to host starting September 5. Uefa's boycott, if it holds, would affect that tournament and future Fifa events, including the 2030 men's World Cup, which Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are set to co-host.

Spain, the reigning men's World Cup champion, and the reigning women's champion, are both Uefa members. European teams have won five of the last six men's World Cup tournaments.

Fifa has not yet issued a detailed response to the confederations' rejections. Infantino has previously said the plan is meant to increase funding for football development worldwide, given that most of Fifa's 211 members rely on its financial support.