UEFA and UK MP Slam FIFA’s World Cup Investment Plans

Sun Sep 06 2026 09:41:34 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

FIFA’s proposal to invite private investors into its World Cup triggers backlash from UEFA and UK leaders, who warn the sport could lose its soul.

FIFA’s ambitious move to open the World Cup to private, non‑controlling investors has sparked fierce criticism from UEFA and UK sports minister Andy Burnham. The proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise would bring in new capital but risks diluting the sport’s governance and alienating fans. FIFA argues the extra funding will help every nation benefit from football’s global revenue, yet critics accuse it of turning the sport into a commercial product. A decisive vote among FIFA’s 211 members could shape football’s future by March next year.

UEFA and UK MP Slam FIFA’s World Cup Investment Plans

The global governing body of the sport has been put under fire after FIFA announced a plan that would open the World Cup to private, minority, non‑controlling investors. UEFA and Andy Burnham, the UK’s former premier minister of sport, said the move cross‑es a line that “football’s ownership should never be sold out.”

FIFA, which aims to increase its “football development funding” to over $10bn, wants a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, that would consolidate commercial and event operations. The investor consortium, reportedly led by US venture firm Thrive Eternal, is said to have ties to former U.S. president Donald Trump’s network, raising concerns about influence over the sport’s future.

Infantino defended the approach, saying every nation should benefit from football’s global revenue and that his role is to ensure the sport “grows with it” rather than being sold to private interests. He added that the World Cup “is the greatest competition in world sport” and should not become a product for investors.

UEFA’s statement warned that allowing an investment structure that lacks transparency could jeopardise its own commercially valuable tournaments such as the Champions League. The federation warned that the “soul and governance of football are not assets to trade.”

If approved by FIFA’s 211 members, the plan would also grant associations access to up to $20m in one‑off capital to fund development projects. However, the council will debate it in autumn and the decisive vote could come at the congress in Morocco in March 2027.

In a world where ownership is increasingly contested, the stakes look higher than ever.