Fifa sets 19 September deadline to claim initial $20m as World Cup row boils over
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has written to all 211 member associations saying they will receive $40m if they back his controversial plan to sell off stakes in its major competitions. The deadline for football federations to accept his plans is 19 September.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has proposed a plan to sell off stakes in its major competitions, including the World Cup, and is offering $40m to member associations who back the plan. The deadline for acceptance is 19 September.
Fifa, the organisation that runs the World Cup, wants to sell some of its competitions to other companies. This has made many people in the football world very upset because they think it's not fair and could change the game forever.
Analysis
A $60B Vote of Confidence
Fifa's proposal to sell off stakes in its major competitions has sent shockwaves through the football world. The plan, which would see external investors buying stakes in Fifa Forward Enterprise, a subsidiary company set up to maximise commercial revenue, has been met with widespread criticism. Many have expressed concerns about the lack of due process and the potential implications for the game.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has written to all 211 member associations, offering $40m to those who back the plan. The deadline for acceptance is 19 September. The proposal has been met with fierce opposition, with many citing the lack of transparency and the potential for external investors to gain control of the game.
The situation is complex, with Fifa arguing that it is compelled to look at proposals that would help it grow the game globally. However, this has led to fears about expansion at a time when proposals for a 64-team World Cup in 2030 are gathering pace. This would have huge implications for the football calendar, which is already squeezed, partly because of the expansion of European club competitions.
The threat posed by Fifa's plan is one of the biggest the game has faced, and it is on a par with the proposed European Super League, which created such controversy in 2021 and was scrapped within 48 hours. It seems unlikely that Fifa will back down in the same manner over this.
The latest escalation extends a difficult relationship between Fifa and Uefa, which responded angrily to attempts to host the World Cup every two years when the idea was floated by former Arsenal manager and Fifa's current chief of global football development Arsene Wenger in 2021. Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final this month in protest over a number of controversial moves, including US President Donald Trump stepping in to help turn USA forward Folarin Balogun's one-match ban into a suspended ban, allowing him to play in the last-16 encounter with Belgium.
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How has rest of football world reacted?
Uefa is not the only organisation unhappy with the situation. Concacaf, which covers North and Central America and hosted this summer's World Cup, is also concerned at the turn of events. 'We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process,' the organisation said in its own statement. 'We share the disappointment of many within our region and the game that this level of detail has been designed and shared publicly before any discussion with the member associations.'
Key points
- Fifa president Gianni Infantino has proposed a plan to sell off stakes in its major competitions, including the World Cup.
- The deadline for football federations to accept the plan is 19 September.
- Fifa is offering $40m to member associations who back the plan.
- Many have expressed concerns about the lack of due process and the potential implications for the game.
- The situation is complex, with Fifa arguing that it is compelled to look at proposals that would help it grow the game globally.
If Fifa's plan is successful, it could bring in a lot of new money and help the game grow globally. However, this would require a lot of careful planning and negotiation to ensure that the game is not damaged in the process.
If Fifa's plan is not handled carefully, it could lead to a loss of control for the member associations and a shift in power towards external investors. This could have serious implications for the game and its future.
