FIFA has given its member associations until September 19 to decide whether to support a proposal to sell stakes in its major competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, with each association set to receive up to $40 million if the plan is approved.
The global football governing body announced on Tuesday that it intends to establish a new commercial subsidiary that would manage some of its biggest tournaments. The proposal has, however, sparked criticism from several football stakeholders, particularly in Europe.
According to a report by The Times, FIFA President Gianni Infantino informed member associations that a $10 billion funding package would become available if they agreed to the proposal before the September deadline.
In a letter seen by the British newspaper, Infantino stressed that the decision rests with each member association.
“Should you wish to proceed, this $10 billion package will become available as of January 1, 2027, ushering in the next phase of our journey together,” Infantino wrote.
He added that associations choosing not to support the proposal would still benefit from FIFA’s existing development programme.
“Should you wish to retain the status quo and reject this proposal, we still have our planned expansion of the Forward programme (development funds) of $2.7 billion as previously presented.”
Infantino further explained that member associations could receive up to $40 million each under the new proposal.
“In total for the upcoming cycle starting as of January 1, 2027, each member association will have the possibility of access up to $40 million per member association under this proposal,” he stated.
The proposal has drawn strong opposition from some football authorities. UEFA, European football’s governing body, argued that the FIFA World Cup is not “an asset to trade,” while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it was not consulted before the announcement.
Meanwhile, the European Union’s sports chief, Glenn Micallef, also criticised the proposal, urging FIFA to stay away from commercialising the game.
“Hands off our game,” Micallef said.
According to The Times, sources opposed to the proposal described the offer as “pure bribery,” accusing FIFA of using financial incentives to win support for the controversial plan.
Source: AFP.
