Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino faces a backlash over plans to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors led by relatives of Donald Trump.
Andy Burnham condemned the plans, saying “football does not belong to investors”. European nations are reportedly discussing a World Cup boycott if Infantino goes ahead with the proposal.
The plan could personally earn Infantino tens of millions of pounds, it is understood.
A new private company would control Fifa’s commercial and events operations, including the running of the World Cup and the Club World Cup.
This company is set to be run by Infantino himself once his final presidential term is over in 2031, The Times reported.
Figures close to the Trump administration have been consulted about the plan. Fifa confirmed that Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital is expected to lead the investor group.
Kushner is the younger brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat Congressman, said that Fifa is “now going directly into business with the Trump family”.
‘Football belongs to the fans’
Burnham led British criticism of the plans, saying: “Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine.
“The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell. Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out.
“Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will.”
Infantino’s move also provoked an immediate backlash from Uefa, the governing body of European football. In a statement, Uefa said that Fifa had “crossed a line”, adding: “Uefa takes it extremely seriously. So should every national football association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game.
“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.”
European nations are discussing boycotting the World Cup if Infantino pushes ahead with the plans, Sky News reported.
The row has further strained the troubled relationship between Fifa and Uefa.
Aleksander Čeferin , Uefa’s president, did not attend the World Cup final earlier this month in protest against Infantino’s handling of the tournament.
The revelation of the plans comes two days after a congressional committee in Washington summoned Infantino to testify about his relationship with the US President.
Raskin said Infantino had waged a “sustained campaign to secure special favours from President Trump – including the dismissal of high-profile corruption cases involving hundreds of millions of dollars tied to Fifa – while American consumers were gouged by exorbitant World Cup ticket prices”.
‘Unleashing Fifa’s commercial potential’
Fifa has confirmed plans to create Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). A spokesperson said the plans are set to increase funding for Fifa’s member associations by giving them each a stake worth around $20m (£15m).
Each association can then retain the share or sell it to raise income for their own projects, Fifa said.
The proposal needs backing by the majority of its 211 member associations to be enacted. National associations and the Fifa council will remain the final decision-makers while FFE would run the “operational delivery of Fifa tournaments”, the spokesperson added.
The Football Supporters’ Association called the plans “a new low”, adding: “Many supporters came home from the World Cup believing Fifa couldn’t do much more to ruin everything we love about football’s greatest tournament.
“The Fifa president states that in the wake of the 2026 World Cup success, its priority now is to unleash the commercial potential and opportunity that Fifa has.”
This is at least the second time Infantino has made attempts at securing private investments in Fifa.
In 2018, he agreed to a deal in principle with Japanese bank SoftBank for $25bn (£18.7bn) to expand the Club World Cup and the global Nations League.
But this deal fell through after opposition from Uefa.
Hence then, the article about world cup not fifa s to sell says burnham amid storm over shares plan was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( World Cup ‘not Fifa’s to sell’ says Burnham amid storm over shares plan )
Also on site :
- Smashing Pumpkins Roll Out Week of ‘Pumpkinpalooza’ Events In Lead-Up to First Lollapalooza Headlining Slot in 32 Years
- My Wife Was Invited to a Baby Shower. But What Was Handwritten on Her Invitation Is Unacceptable.
- 1982’s Smoothest Hit Still Ranks Among Yacht Rock's Best Ever—Thanks to a Nod to a Hidden '60s Classic