Uefa and Prime Minister Andy Burnham have criticised Fifa proposals to bring private investment into a new venture connected to its commercial and event operations, BBC News reported.
Fifa said it wants to increase football development funding to more than $10bn (£7.5bn) and invite third-party investors into a new subsidiary called Fifa Forward Enterprise. The organisation said any investment would be minority and non-controlling, and that Fifa would retain authority over governance, competitions, the international match calendar and sporting decisions.
The proposal, first reported by the Financial Times and the Times, would require approval from Fifa’s 211 member nations. The Times reported that the plans could potentially earn Fifa president Gianni Infantino tens of millions of pounds. Fifa sources told BBC Sport there had been no discussion about Infantino, or anyone else, becoming chief executive of the new entity.
Fifa said Thrive Eternal is expected to lead the proposed investor group if the plan is approved. Thrive is an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, who is US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Infantino said Fifa’s role was to ensure football’s commercial success helped the wider game. Fifa has said member associations would be able to access up to $20m (£15m) in one-off capital for development.
Uefa said the plan “crosses a line” and warned that football’s governance should not be treated as something to trade. Burnham wrote on X that football “belongs to the fans” and said the World Cup was “not a product”.
The Football Association said it had not been aware of Fifa’s plans when they were released. Fifa argues that a dedicated commercial subsidiary would be similar to arrangements used by governing bodies in other sports.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC Sport the proposal could allow Fifa to raise more money, but said there could be pressure for a larger or more frequent World Cup if the new structure needed to deliver returns to shareholders.
The issue is expected to be discussed at a Fifa Council meeting in the autumn and around the Fifa Intercontinental Cup in December. A vote by all 211 members could take place at the Fifa Congress in Morocco in March.
