FIFA’s proposal to sell minority stakes in a new $20 billion company controlling the commercial operations of the World Cup and its other competitions has triggered a furious response from UEFA, which accused world football’s governing body of attempting to trade away the “soul” of the sport.FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump watch the medal at the award ceremony. (Getty Images via AFP)Under the plans announced on Tuesday, FIFA would establish a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise to manage the World Cup and other tournaments. FIFA would retain a majority stake but offer shares to private investors, potentially raising as much as $4.2 billion.The proposal must still be approved by FIFA’s 211 member associations before it can proceed. Should the plan receive sufficient backing, the investment consortium is expected to be led by a vehicle founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, who is US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. UEFA responded sharply to the announcement, saying the proposed deal “crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross”.UEFA says FIFA has no right to sell footballEuropean football’s governing body said it was treating the proposals “extremely seriously” and called on national associations, clubs, leagues, players, supporters and governments to scrutinise the implications of allowing private investors to own part of FIFA’s competitions.“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially,” UEFA said in a statement. “None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”The proposal has widened the growing divide between FIFA and UEFA over the direction and commercialisation of the global game. UEFA has positioned itself as a defender of football’s traditional structure, while FIFA maintains that attracting private investment would generate more money for development programmes around the world.FIFA recently staged the first 48-team men’s World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico, making it the largest edition of the competition.The organisation already generates billions of dollars from broadcasting rights, sponsorship agreements and other commercial deals connected to the World Cup. However, FIFA said the proposed investment structure would allow it to expand access to football and strengthen participation globally.FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the plan, arguing that the commercial success enjoyed by the wealthiest areas of football should be used to develop the game elsewhere. “Football is the world’s most popular sport,” Infantino said. “Parts of the game have turned that popularity into remarkable commercial value – and we celebrate that success and want it to continue, because it lifts the whole game. Our job is to make sure the rest of football grows with it: FIFA exists to support sustainable, inclusive development in every corner of the world.”Also Read: Commonwealth Games 2026, July 29: Full India schedule, medal events and key fixtures Day 7FIFA insisted that it would maintain sole control of the subsidiary despite selling minority stakes. It also said authority over competition formats, match calendars, football regulations, governance and sporting decisions would remain exclusively with FIFA.The assurances have failed to calm critics, who fear that private investors would inevitably seek influence over the scheduling, expansion and commercial priorities of the World Cup.