‘Crosses the line’ – UEFA fires back strongly after Gianni Infantino’s idea to sell World Cup shares comes out
UEFA, the main football organization in Europe, has spoken out strongly after hearing about Gianni Infantino’s plans to sell shares in the World Cup. Infantino, FIFA’s boss, has faced a lot of criticism lately, especially after the World Cup in North America. He recently fired back at those “spreading hate and false rumours” in a heated message.
Now, Infantino is making waves again because reports say he wants to sell parts of FIFA’s business, including the World Cup events. The Financial Times and The Times shared the story, and FIFA confirmed it plans to invite outside investors to buy small, non-controlling shares in a new branch called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
This new company might be worth around £15 billion, with plans to raise about £3.16 billion from investors in major competitions. If FIFA’s 211 member countries agree at the Congress in March, an American investment group led by Joshua Kushner, who is related to Donald Trump’s family, could run the investment process.
Infantino said football’s huge popularity has created great commercial value, and this success benefits the whole game. He also said the plan is about giving all football associations a fair share of the money. According to The Times, Infantino could personally earn millions if it all goes ahead.
But UEFA is not happy and feels this plan crosses an important line. In a strong statement, UEFA said football’s soul and leadership aren’t things to be sold, especially when no one knows who will make money from it. They believe football doesn’t belong to FIFA alone.
Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 and is now in his third term. He could stay until 2031, as most FIFA members support him, and he’s expected to run again in 2027 without opposition.
Separately, UEFA’s president Aleksander Ceferin didn’t attend the World Cup final to protest a controversial decision to cancel a red card for US player Folarin Balogun. This meant Balogun could play in the next round despite his red card. Donald Trump said he talked to Infantino about the decision, which he thought was fair.
UEFA called FIFA’s choice “incomprehensible and unjustifiable,” saying they crossed a “red line.” Ceferin was at the Mexico vs South Africa game but chose not to watch the final. He was also unhappy that a Somali referee was banned from entering the US for the World Cup but then was assigned to referee a major UEFA match later on.