Fifa has unveiled plans to create a new commercial entity, Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would take over the sale of all broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing rights, as well as operational delivery of its tournaments, while allowing outside investors to buy non-controlling stakes. President Gianni Infantino has framed the move as "the democratisation of football worldwide", but it has drawn criticism from Uefa and accusations that Fifa is "selling the soul of football", not least because the proposed lead investor is Joshua Kushner, brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Under the plan, first reported by the Times and Financial Times, Fifa would retain sole control of FFE while inviting minority investors vetted against governance and strategic criteria; sources say those investors would not receive dividends, though they could later sell their stakes. Fifa is pitching the scheme financially to its 211 member associations, promising an optional $20m in extra funding per nation, higher annual disbursements, and a predicted $10bn in additional funding overall, with a majority of members needing to back the plan for outside investment to proceed. The announcement comes as Infantino, tipped for an unprecedented fourth term next year, has yet to say whether Argentina will face punishment for pitch violence at the end of the World Cup final a week earlier.