UEFA will convene an emergency meeting of its 55 member associations on Wednesday as European football moves to mount a coordinated response to FIFA's controversial plan to open the commercial rights of the World Cup and other major tournaments to outside investors.
French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari confirmed the meeting in a social media post, calling for European football to unite against a proposal she said could fundamentally reshape the game's future.
"I acknowledge the emergency meeting to be held Wednesday among European football authorities," Ferrari wrote. "Faced with a project that could profoundly transform the balance of our sport, it is essential that European stakeholders speak with a single voice."
The emergency talks come just a day after FIFA unveiled plans to establish the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a wholly owned commercial subsidiary that would manage the governing body's most valuable assets, including media rights, sponsorships, ticketing, licensing and event operations for the men's and women's World Cups, the Club World Cup and other flagship competitions.
FIFA has valued the new entity at approximately $20 billion and intends to sell minority, non-controlling stakes of up to about 21% to long-term investors, potentially raising as much as $4.2 billion this year. FIFA insists it will retain majority ownership and exclusive authority over governance and sporting decisions while reinvesting all net proceeds into football development across its 211 member associations.
