FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s proposal to open parts of the governing body’s commercial operations to private investors has suffered another major setback after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) joined UEFA and Concacaf in opposing the plan.
In a statement released on Friday, the AFC said it stood alongside its European and North, Central American and Caribbean counterparts, arguing that the proposal lacked the broad international backing needed to move forward. The confederation warned that any initiative capable of weakening the unity or universal nature of the FIFA World Cup should be reconsidered.
The latest opposition significantly reduces the chances of the proposal being approved by FIFA’s 211 member associations. A simple majority of 106 votes would be required, but UEFA represents 55 members, Concacaf 35 and the AFC 46, giving the three confederations a combined 136 votes.
The AFC also criticised FIFA’s governance process, saying major strategic decisions were being advanced before meaningful consultation with confederations and national associations. It argued that both member associations and FIFA’s own governing bodies, including the FIFA Council, had been sidelined and called for an urgent review of FIFA’s decision-making framework to ensure greater transparency, consultation and oversight.
The criticism follows UEFA’s announcement on Thursday that it would boycott future FIFA World Cups if the investment proposal proceeds. Shortly afterwards, Concacaf also rejected the plan.
Despite the growing resistance, FIFA reiterated early on Friday that it intends to continue pursuing the proposal, insisting that “nobody is selling football.” The organisation said the consultation process had been disrupted by inaccurate media reports and maintained that the initiative would not compromise either the governance of FIFA or the integrity of the sport.
UEFA remains unconvinced, describing the World Cup as one of football’s greatest sporting legacies and arguing that it should never become an investment product or be partially handed over to private investors. The European governing body has also accused FIFA of attempting to use football for the financial benefit of a select group.
South America’s governing body, CONMEBOL, has not yet publicly stated its position, while the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) are expected to discuss the proposal during meetings in August.
Under FIFA’s plan, a new commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) would be created to manage the organisation’s flagship competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. External investors would be invited to acquire minority, non-controlling stakes in the business.
According to a 25-page presentation prepared by investment bank JP Morgan, the new structure aims to increase commercial revenues and raise distributions to FIFA member associations to an estimated €24 million each during the 2035-2039 cycle. The document also highlights ambitions to launch new business initiatives and attract top talent through performance-based compensation, while describing FIFA as “under-monetised” despite the World Cup being the world’s most-watched sporting event.
The presentation does not reference the women’s game.
If the proposal receives approval, American venture capital firm Thrive Eternal is expected to lead the investor group backing FFE. The company was founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.