Just days after FIFA made the bold announcement that it was set to create an investment vehicle, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), that would control the governing body’s commercial operations — including the sale of broadcast rights to events like the World Cup — and subsequently seek private investment in exchange for equity in FFE, FIFA’s grand enrichment plan is hitting considerable roadblocks.
On Thursday, both UEFA and CONCACAF released damning statements rejecting FIFA’s proposal, with UEFA going as far as saying its member nations would boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, should the proposal go through. Together, UEFA and CONCACAF comprise 96 of FIFA’s 211 member nations. AFC, the confederation representing 46 Asian nations, has similarly condemned FIFA’s proposal.
With confederations representing over half of FIFA’s membership opposing the deal, the world awaits FIFA’s response.
One factor of FIFA’s proposal that has caused rancor among the opposing confederations is the hasty timeline the global governing body set for its approval. FIFA has demanded its member nations approve or reject the proposal just over 50 days after it was first presented to them. FIFA president Gianni Infantino doubled down earlier this week by threatening nations that did not approve of the deal with less funding. What’s the rush for FIFA?
Well, as has been outlined in previous reports, FIFA would like to capitalize on the success of this summer’s World Cup by taking broadcast rights for the next two World Cups — in 2030 and 2034 — to market in the coming months. If FFE is going to be the vehicle through which those broadcast rights are sold, FIFA would need to get that off the ground before it goes to market.
But now, with widespread opposition to FFE, the ball is now in FIFA’s court (or pitch).
There are a few ways this can go, and they’re all dependent on how committed FIFA is to making this happen in spite of the near-universal opposition the proposal faces. FIFA could simply give up on the idea, it can go the way of the European Super League, and its timeline for World Cup broadcast rights bidding can remain on track. FIFA could try and ram the proposal through on the backs of poorer nations who stand to benefit disproportionately from the additional revenue, though it’s unclear if that possibility remains feasible given many of these so-called “minnows” are members of UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC. In this scenario, bidding for World Cup broadcast rights would almost certainly be delayed due to uncertainty in the market as confederations weigh boycotts. Or, FIFA can shelve its proposal for now, continue on its planned timeline for bringing World Cup broadcast rights to market, and then reengage the regional confederations at a later date with a modified plan that would include input from the likes of UEFA, CONCACAF, AFC, and other confederations.
Given the gusto of some of the statements against FIFA’s proposal, a way forward with the proposal in tact seems borderline untenable.
“Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA’s statement read. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”
CONCACAF questioned the supposed urgent need for private investment “following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history.”
Conventional wisdom would suggest Infantino, even in his infinite greed, wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the golden goose that is the men’s World Cup. One major factor here is the upcoming FIFA presidential election in March 2027. Infantino had all but guaranteed his reelection following the success of the 2026 World Cup, but now could face potential opposition after angering membership. Pulling the proposal entirely could help preserve his spot on top of FIFA. But if he feels the damage is already done, and his presidency is now at risk, he might feel emboldened to resort to more extreme measures. One thing is for sure, it’s more difficult to enrich yourself when you aren’t the president of FIFA, so how this saga plays out might come down entirely to Infantino’s calculus on self-preservation.
Whatever the case, Infantino and FIFA have added a major wrinkle to when the next round of media rights bidding will occur for the next pair of World Cups.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.