FIFA-UEFA rift deepens over $20bn FIFA Forward Enterprise plan

FIFA’s proposal to create a new $20bn commercial company, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), has triggered a major stand-off with UEFA, which has warned that no European national team will play in FIFA competitions if the project goes ahead in its current form.

Over the past 48 hours, tensions between FIFA and UEFA have sharply escalated after world football’s governing body confirmed in an official statement that it intends to launch FFE, valued at $20bn (£15.5bn), by selling a 20% minority, non-controlling stake to external investors.

While UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF have all publicly voiced opposition in a series of statements, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has said only that it will study the proposal at its next executive committee meeting.

UEFA’s latest communication contained its most explicit warning yet, stating: “لن تشارك اي منتخبات وطنية تابعة للاتحاد الاوروبي في اي مسابقة تابعة لفيفا طالما بقيت هذه المقترحات قايمة” – “No national teams belonging to UEFA will participate in any FIFA competition as long as these proposals remain in place.”

FIFA is seeking to capitalise on the commercial success of the 2026 World Cup, which generated a record sum of almost $15bn for its accounts, as it looks to expand its development programmes.

What is FIFA Forward Enterprise?

FIFA argues that its existing FIFA Forward development programme has produced strong financial results but insists there is significant untapped commercial potential around its events and rights.

According to FIFA’s own website, consultations on the FFE project began on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, after it received a proposal aimed at accelerating long-term development schemes, including stadium construction and national training centres.

The revenues generated are intended to be channelled back to FIFA’s member associations to fund improved stadiums, stronger national teams, more pathways for youth players and greater support for women’s football in all 211 FIFA member associations, from the largest to the smallest.

Under the plan, FFE would take charge of FIFA’s commercial rights and event operations across all competitions it owns – including, crucially, the World Cup – as well as sponsorship, broadcasting, licensing, ticketing, hospitality and new commercial projects.

The objective, FIFA says, is to increase the value of these assets for the benefit of all 211 member associations and the game globally, by unlocking revenue streams that have not previously been fully exploited.

Who would control the new company?

FIFA says it would retain 80% of the shares in FFE, with the remaining 20% sold as minority, non-controlling stakes to outside investors. Those investors, FIFA stresses, would have no influence over decision-making nor seats on the FIFA Council.

In its explanatory statement, FIFA revealed that the proposed investor group would be led by Thrive Eternal, described as a permanent capital holding company chaired by investor Josh Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former US president Donald Trump.

ESPN has reported that the envisaged investment is not designed to generate returns over a short five- or 10-year horizon. Permanent capital vehicles typically seek to buy and hold stakes indefinitely, meaning any sale of a portion of FIFA’s rights would be effectively irreversible.

The enterprise has been valued at $20bn on the basis of an assessment carried out by J.P. Morgan using conventional valuation analysis.

FFE’s management team would oversee all of FIFA’s commercial and event-related business, including negotiating broadcast rights deals, running sponsorship and partnership programmes, managing ticketing and hospitality operations, and developing new income sources.

FIFA says all revenue generated by FFE will flow back to FIFA and its member associations and be reinvested in the sport through the FIFA Forward programme.

FIFA insists World Cup “not for sale”

FIFA has underlined that the World Cup itself, and its governance role, are not being put on the market.

In its clarification note, the organisation stated: “The World Cup is not for sale, nor is any part of FIFA’s governance of the game. FIFA proposes to create a commercially-focused subsidiary, wholly owned and controlled by FIFA, to attract dedicated commercial expertise and long-term capital for its existing rights and events.”

FIFA also stressed that it would remain “a global, non-profit body, run by its members and accountable to its 211 member associations, with its revenues reinvested in the worldwide development of football”.

It added that “the game fans watch and love will not change”, and that FIFA will continue to govern football and stage its main competitions as before.

Who will decide whether FFE goes ahead?

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has framed the scheme as an opportunity that ultimately rests in the hands of the member associations.

“My job as president is to create the conditions for football to flourish everywhere in the world, and to build shared, lasting value,” Infantino has said. “For this purpose, we have worked with the FIFA administration over recent months to bring this opportunity to all of you – the 211 FIFA member associations – without excluding anyone.”

“But the decision is yours,” he added. “It is your choice whether you accept it or not. In line with our democratic principles, this initiative will only go ahead if the majority of you decide that it is the right thing to do, together with the approval of the FIFA Council for the necessary regulatory updates. If you do, my commitment and guarantee is to implement it in a way that serves the collective interest.”

UEFA and its 55 member associations have already declared their opposition to the proposal.

That leaves 156 other potential votes: 46 from Asia, 54 from Africa, 11 from Oceania, 35 from North and Central America and the Caribbean, and 10 from South America.

CAF has confirmed it will discuss the issue, while the positions of other confederations have not yet been clearly set out.

FIFA has said “the new structure will not proceed unless it is endorsed by a majority of member associations and approved by the FIFA Council”, and has promised to disclose which member associations intend to seek financing under the related FIFA FAST Forward programme.

A vote is scheduled to take place on 19 September.

How much would member associations receive?

Under the current FIFA Forward cycle from 2023 to 2026, each member association is receiving $8m.

FIFA says that, if FFE is created, that figure would rise to $20m per association for the 2027-2030 cycle, with the sums paid directly to the 211 members.

According to ESPN, each member association would then be in line for three further instalments worth $20m, $22m and $24m between 2027 and 2038.

Infantino has previously claimed that distributions to member associations have increased during his tenure from $250,000 to $8.6m each, describing it as a rise of around 2,800%.

Long-running FIFA–UEFA tensions

The dispute over FFE is the latest flashpoint in a broader power struggle between FIFA and UEFA.

Infantino previously championed the idea of staging the World Cup every two years instead of every four, a concept that met fierce resistance in Europe. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin threatened to boycott the tournament if those plans were pursued.

Both men have been vying for influence, with Ceferin in particular resisting moves he sees as encroaching on UEFA’s authority.

According to The Times, Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final in protest at FIFA’s decisions, despite Spain – a UEFA member – reaching the showpiece and winning the title.

UEFA has also led opposition to the proposed European Super League driven by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, a project that has effectively collapsed after several years of legal and political battles.

Fan concerns over ticket prices and hosts

Away from the boardrooms, supporters’ main fear is a further rise in ticket prices, particularly after the levels seen at the 2026 World Cup.

There is concern that if investors, rather than sports administrators, come to wield decisive influence over ticket prices and broadcasting rights, many fans could be priced out of attending matches.

Another anxiety is the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams and awarding hosting rights primarily to countries likely to deliver huge commercial returns, such as the United States, rather than continuing the current system of rotating the tournament between confederations.

For now, the future of FIFA Forward Enterprise – and the scale of the rift between FIFA and UEFA – will hinge on the outcome of the decisive vote on 19 September.