Illustration shows FIFA logo and silhouettes The FIFA logo and silhouettes of people are seen in this illustration taken July 30, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
FIFA’s plan to bring private investment into the World Cup is facing growing resistance, with Concacaf becoming the second major football confederation this week to reject the proposal. The move came just hours after UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the plan goes ahead.
The 41 members of Concacaf, which oversees football across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, met in an emergency session on Thursday, July 30, 2026, to discuss FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell a minority stake in the tournament to outside investors.
According to a source familiar with the meeting who spoke on condition of anonymity, many delegates said they had lost confidence, or were rapidly losing confidence, in Infantino’s leadership. Another person who attended the meeting disputed that assessment but acknowledged there was widespread concern over FIFA’s governance and transparency.
Infantino’s proposal, unveiled on Tuesday, would separate FIFA’s commercial operations, including the World Cup and Club World Cup, into a new for-profit company called FIFA Forward Enterprise. FIFA would retain a majority stake while selling up to 20% of the business to outside investors.
The new company has reportedly been valued at around $20 billion, with the sale expected to raise roughly $4.2 billion that could be distributed to FIFA’s member associations. Among the investors reportedly approached is Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a statement released Thursday night, Concacaf said it had “deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies.”
Delegates also questioned why FIFA would need private equity to finance its FIFA Forward development programs after delivering what it has described as the most profitable World Cup in history.
Concacaf said the discussions highlighted the need for greater transparency and stronger governance. It confirmed that members had rejected the proposal, instructed its representatives on the FIFA Council to explore using FIFA’s existing reserves to expand development funding, and urged Infantino to ensure any future proposals follow the governance procedures set out in the FIFA Statutes.
The decision builds on concerns Concacaf first raised on Wednesday, when it questioned both the approval process and the need for outside investment at a time when FIFA remains financially strong.
Concacaf’s position carries added weight because its member nations hosted last year’s Club World Cup and this summer’s men’s World Cup. The United States, Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica are also due to co-host the 2031 Women’s World Cup.
UEFA Took an Even Tougher Stance.
Following an emergency virtual meeting involving all 55 member associations on Thursday, the European governing body warned it would withdraw from all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, unless the proposal is abandoned.
UEFA said its members had “unanimously and unequivocally” rejected FIFA’s plan to transfer ownership stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors, insisting that “the World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product.”
The confederation added that none of its national teams would take part in FIFA competitions unless the proposal was withdrawn completely and FIFA provided binding guarantees that it would never again seek private ownership of its competitions or governance structures.
Amid the growing backlash, Infantino sought to ease concerns by telling FIFA’s media channels that the proposal was “not an obligation.” He said any changes would require approval from a majority of FIFA’s 211 member associations, as well as the FIFA Council.
Reports have also suggested Infantino could eventually lead the new commercial company after his FIFA presidency ends in 2031. That possibility, along with comparisons to the reported $64 million annual salary earned by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, has intensified scrutiny of the proposal and Infantino’s motivations.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also expressed frustration, saying it was disappointed that such a significant proposal became public before its members had the opportunity to review and discuss it through FIFA’s established governance process.
Africa’s governing body adopted a more cautious approach. It confirmed it had participated in FIFA’s consultations and encouraged its member associations to assess the proposal independently rather than reject it outright.
With three of football’s six continental confederations now publicly opposing the plan and UEFA threatening a full-scale boycott, FIFA’s effort to open the World Cup to private investment is facing its biggest governance challenge in years, despite coming on the heels of what officials have described as the tournament’s most commercially successful edition.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah