Due to the massive sum of money, the PSSI President publicly supports FIFA

Despite the AFC's public rejection of FIFA's contentious proposal, Indonesian Football Association Chairman Erick Thohir surprisingly declared his backing.

The Chairman of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Erick Thohir, confirmed that he would vote in favor of FIFA President Gianni Infantino's proposal regarding the sale of a partial stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup.

The plan is facing increasing global opposition. However, Mr. Thohir believes that the establishment of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) should still proceed, because the financial resources generated could play a crucial role in developing football in member nations.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr. Thohir emphasized that Indonesian football still needs substantial funding to sustain the reform process that has been implemented in recent years.

"Indonesian football has changed over the past three years and become cleaner. The national team's ranking has risen from 174th to 118th. To continue this transformation, we need additional funding,"the PSSI Chairman stated.

Mr. Thohir's remarks came amid FIFA's proposal to its 211 member associations, where each association could receive up to $40 million if they approve the plan by September 19.

The support from Chairman Erick Thohir is not entirely surprising given the increasingly close ties between Indonesia and FIFA. Last year, the World Football Federation officially designated Jakarta as FIFA's operational hub for Southeast Asia and East Asia. The agreement was signed by Mr. Thohir alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino and was described by both sides as a historic milestone for the future of football in the region.

Indonesia could also benefit if FIFA continues to expand the World Cup. According to some analyses, if the tournament increases from 48 to 64 teams, as was once an idea promoted by Mr. Infantino, the archipelago nation's team could qualify based on its current ranking.

Amid concerns that FIFA is handing over the most valuable commercial rights of world football to a powerful group of private investors, Mr. Thohir argued that many member associations have already adopted a similar model for their domestic leagues.

"If FIFA members vote to approve it, that shows they themselves want this deal to go ahead,"PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir said.

FIFA's plan is currently facing opposition from UEFA, AFC, and Concacaf, while the English Football Association has expressed "deep concern" over transparency and long-term impacts.

The AFC, of which Indonesia is a member, also believes that FIFA needs to allow more time for associations to fully assess the legal, governance, and consequential issues of the deal.