UEFA, European football’s governing body, has rejected FIFA’s proposal to sell minority stakes in a new commercial subsidiary for $20 billion.
Earlier this week, FIFA announced plans to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a $20 billion-valued subsidiary designed to manage its commercial and events operations. Under the arrangement, FIFA would retain control over football governance, competitions, the match calendar, and sporting regulations. The plan, set to be presented to FIFA’s 211 member associations, would allow external investors to acquire minority, non-controlling stakes in FFE.
FIFA aims to raise up to $4.2 billion from the stake sale, with the goal of expanding football development programmes and increasing funding for member associations worldwide. A new optional programme would give associations the opportunity to access additional development funding, with the potential to receive up to $20 million in one-off capital.
According to a FIFA spokesperson, funding per member association would rise from $8 million to $20 million during the 2027-2030 cycle, with further increases targeted for future cycles. FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized that leveraging football’s commercial success should benefit the sport’s development globally. “Football is the world’s most popular sport and an extraordinary engine of human and social development. Parts of the game have turned that popularity into remarkable commercial value, and we celebrate that success because it lifts the whole game,” Infantino said. He added that FIFA’s responsibility is to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth across all regions.
However, UEFA has urged football stakeholders to oppose the proposal, arguing that the governance and identity of the sport should not be commercialized. “The proposal crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” UEFA said in a statement. “UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association, leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game.”
UEFA further argued that football’s governance should not be treated as a tradable asset, raising concerns about the transparency of potential investors. “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,” the statement continued.
This latest disagreement adds to growing tensions between FIFA and UEFA over football governance, disciplinary processes, refereeing arrangements, and match operations. The rift between the two bodies has deepened in recent years, highlighted by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin’s absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
(Source: Reuters/NAN)
