FIFA World Cup plan: Infantino tackles UEFA and global game – all to know
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proposed selling minority stakes in the World Cup and other events to private investors, drawing fierce opposition from UEFA and CONCACAF. UEFA voted to boycott future World Cups unless the privatization plan is abandoned immediately, citing concerns about the proposal's secrecy and the treatment of the World Cup as a commercial product.
FIFA has unveiled a controversial proposal to introduce private investment into its flagship tournaments, triggering significant resistance from football's regional governing bodies. The plan, announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, would allow private investors to acquire minority stakes in the World Cup and other FIFA-sanctioned events through an investment vehicle.
The proposed investor group is expected to be led by Joshua Kushner, founder of Thrive Capital, through a fund designated as Thrive Eternal. Infantino has set a deadline of September 19 for FIFA's 211 member federations to vote on the initiative. The structure would involve an investment firm responsible for attracting and managing private capital.
European football's governing body, UEFA, responded with a formal boycott threat on Thursday, announcing it would withdraw from future World Cups unless FIFA abandons all privatization plans immediately. UEFA's statement emphasized that the World Cup represents a sporting legacy built over generations by players, teams, and supporters worldwide, and should not be converted into a commercial investment product. The organization also criticized the secretive development of the proposal and the compressed timeline for decision-making.
CONCACAF, representing 41 member associations across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, similarly rejected the proposal during a Thursday meeting. While stopping short of UEFA's boycott threat, CONCACAF expressed deep concerns about procedural deficiencies, including the lack of transparent review processes and insufficient time for proper governance consideration.
The World Cup has been held every four years since 1930, with the tournament expanding from 13 teams at its inception to 48 teams at the 2026 edition, with potential growth to 64 teams by 2030. The privatization proposal has generated international controversy, with multiple stakeholders questioning whether commercial interests should influence one of sport's most established institutions.
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