Five questions about FIFA's World Cup investment plan that is dividing the football world

However, according to Turkey's Anadolu news agency, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and several regional federations warn that the proposal could change the governance model of the beautiful game and even threaten a boycott of FIFA tournaments. Below are the key points of the proposal.

1. What is FIFA proposing?

FIFA wants to establish a new commercial company called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).

FFE will manage all of FIFA's commercial rights, including broadcasting rights, sponsorship, ticket sales, and commercial licensing, while also being responsible for organizing and operating the World Cup and other men's, women's, and youth tournaments run by FIFA.

FIFA insists that the organization will permanently retain ownership and control of FFE.

2. How much equity does FIFA plan to sell, and to whom?

FFE is valued at approximately $20 billion.

FIFA plans to sell up to 20% of non-controlling equity to private investors. This deal could raise up to $4.2 billion for FIFA.

Under the plan, Thrive Eternal, an investment fund founded by American businessman Joshua Kushner, is expected to lead the investor group.

Meanwhile, JPMorgan will act as FIFA's financial advisor for the transaction.

Joshua Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

3. Why does FIFA want to proceed with this plan?

FIFA believes that establishing FFE will more effectively unlock the commercial potential of its tournaments, thereby generating additional financial resources to invest in football development worldwide.

According to the proposal, all 211 FIFA member associations will receive $20 million during the 2027–2030 period, regardless of whether they support or oppose the plan.

Associations that choose to participate in the program could also receive an additional one-time support payment of up to $20 million.

If the proposal is approved, each member association will be eligible for $20 million through the new FIFA Fast Forward program.

This amount is in addition to the $20 million that associations will receive over the next four years from the existing FIFA Forward program, bringing total support to $40 million.

If the equity sale is not approved, associations will only receive $10 million from the FIFA Forward program by 2030.

FIFA says the plan could increase total funding for football development to over $10 billion over four years, while emphasizing: "No one is selling football."

However, opponents question why FIFA needs external funding when the organization holds billions of dollars in cash reserves and has no debt.

4. Who opposes the plan?

UEFA, along with all 55 European member associations, has rejected the proposal and threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments if the plan is not withdrawn.

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and its 41 member associations also oppose the plan, citing concerns about transparency, governance, and the lack of adequate consultation.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), representing 47 member associations, has also joined the opposition alongside UEFA and CONCACAF, though it has not issued a boycott threat.

Thus, these three regional confederations represent a total of 143 out of FIFA's 211 member associations.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not rejected the plan, stating that it will evaluate the proposal at its Executive Committee meeting next week.

The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has also announced that it will discuss the matter at its executive meeting in August.

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) has not yet announced an official position, although media reports indicate that President Alejandro Dominguez supports Infantino's initiative.

Opposition is not limited to regional confederations. The World Leagues Association (WLA) and European Leagues, representing many top national leagues worldwide, have also rejected the proposal, arguing that the future of football should not be decided without adequate consultation with stakeholders.

5. What happens next?

The controversy is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.

On July 31, Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, resigned immediately. He called the proposal "a bad deal" and warned that FIFA was "mortgaging the future of football without any compelling reason."

The 211 FIFA member associations have until September 19 to review the proposal.

FFE can only be established if it receives majority support from the member associations—at least 106 votes in favor—and must also be approved by the FIFA Council.

The final outcome could be approval, amendment, or rejection of the proposal. If it does not receive enough votes, FIFA says its current commercial structure will remain unchanged.

Meanwhile, UEFA has made clear that its threat to boycott FIFA tournaments will remain in place until the proposal is withdrawn.

If UEFA follows through on this threat, future FIFA tournaments could face unprecedented instability, as Europe plays a central role in the expertise, commercial value, and media appeal of international football.