Fifa accused of ‘crossing a line’ over $20bn plan to sell World Cup commercial rights
Fifa has unveiled plans to sell commercial rights to its major tournaments, including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup, to private investors in a deal reportedly valued at around $20bn (£15.6bn). The proposal, which involves setting up a new entity called Fifa Forward Enterprise with US bank JPMorgan, has provoked fierce criticism from Uefa and leading European clubs, who fear it hands control of football's commercial future to outside investors and threatens the governance of the sport.
Fifa says the venture would raise hundreds of millions of dollars and redistribute more than $10bn back to its 211 member associations, with president Gianni Infantino framing it as a way to run football's commercial side as a "focused, dedicated business". Thrive Capital, run by Joshua Kushner, brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, is reportedly leading the search for investors, and the plan follows record World Cup revenues exceeding $15bn this year. Uefa has condemned the move as "attempting to sell the soul of football", warning it "crosses a line" and is reportedly weighing legal options, amid already strained relations with Fifa following a dispute over a red card overturned at Trump's request during this summer's tournament.
- Fifa plans to sell World Cup commercial rights to investors in $20bn deal
- Uefa accuses Fifa of trying to "sell the soul of football"
- Trump-linked Thrive Capital reportedly leading investor search
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FIFA, football's world governing body, plans to sell the commercial rights to its major tournaments to private investors in a deal valued at around $20 billion. This would create a new company to manage the commercial operations of tournaments such as the World Cup, keeping these separate from FIFA's own governance.
The proposal has provoked strong opposition from UEFA, which oversees European football, and major European clubs who fear losing influence over how football is run commercially. FIFA argues the deal would raise hundreds of millions of dollars and distribute more than $10 billion to its 211 member organisations, strengthening the sport in poorer nations.
The plan follows record World Cup revenues exceeding $15 billion this year. The search for investors is being led by Thrive Capital, a private investment firm connected to Donald Trump's son-in-law's family.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Defenders of the plan argue it represents a pragmatic modernisation that serves global football development. By unlocking $20bn in commercial value and distributing over $10bn to member associations—particularly smaller nations—the proposal democratises access to development funding whilst allowing professional commercial management. The arrangement preserves FIFA's sporting governance whilst harnessing private sector expertise to maximise efficiency and returns, creating a focused business entity that serves the sport's financial interests without compromising competitive integrity or member autonomy.
The case against
Opponents argue that privatising commercial rights fundamentally compromises football's democratic governance and independence. Selling control to external investors means FIFA loses authority over how the World Cup is commercialised, creating structural conflicts between investor returns and sporting values. This sets a dangerous precedent for further asset privatisation and concentrates commercial power in private hands rather than the sport's membership, particularly concerning given football's historical governance challenges and the risk that profit motives could gradually undermine the sporting principles that define the competition.