A picture shows the FIFA logo during a press conference held by the president of the football’s governing body at the FIFA Executive Football Summit on February 15, 2019 in Istanbul. EU sports chief on July 29, 2026 hit out at FIFA’s plans to sell a stake in its competitions including the World Cup, warning international football’s governing body: “Hands off our game.” (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)
Football is the world’s most popular sport. It belongs to everyone. From dusty neighbourhood pitches to the grandeur of the FIFA World Cup, its appeal has always rested on the belief that sporting merit, not financial engineering, determines its destiny. That is why the reported proposal by FIFA under President Gianni Infantino to create a commercial vehicle for its premier competitions and sell a minority stake to private investors deserved the widespread resistance it encountered.
According to published reports, the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise would have been valued at about $20 billion, with FIFA seeking to raise roughly $4.2 billion by selling a 20 per cent stake. The vehicle would reportedly have controlled the commercial, broadcasting, and media rights to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup.
