FIFA has announced plans to establish a new commercial subsidiary valued at $20 billion, inviting external investors to purchase minority stakes. The proposal has immediately drawn fierce criticism from European football's governing body UEFA.
FIFA unveiled an ambitious restructuring plan on Tuesday to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a wholly-owned subsidiary that would consolidate the organisation's commercial and event operations. The governing body said it would invite external investors to purchase non-controlling minority stakes in the entity, potentially raising up to $4.2 billion. FIFA stated that all net benefits generated would be reinvested into the sport.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino framed the initiative as an opportunity to ensure football's popularity translates into sustainable development across all levels of the game. "This is about the democratisation of football worldwide," Infantino said, emphasising that member associations would have opportunities to access fair shares of available funding. FIFA maintained it would retain sole control and exclusive authority over governance, competitions, match calendars, and regulatory decisions.
However, UEFA responded with sharp criticism, arguing that the proposal crosses a fundamental line. "The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade," UEFA stated in response, calling for transparency regarding financial beneficiaries and questioning FIFA's authority to commercialise football's governance structure. The European body urged all stakeholders, from national associations to supporters, to take the matter seriously.
According to sources, FIFA is working with JPMorgan to structure the investment round. Thrive Capital's Thrive Eternal investment vehicle, which recently took a stake in baseball's San Francisco Giants, is expected to be a lead investor. Former Disney CEO Bob Iger serves as an adviser to the strategy. The proposal will be presented to FIFA's 211 member associations and the FIFA Council for final approval.
