Czech FA backs Infantino World Cup company project despite UEFA boycott stance

The Football Association of the Czech Republic has broken with UEFA’s agreed position by signalling support for Gianni Infantino’s plan to create a private company to run the World Cup and other FIFA commercial assets.

The move represents an early setback for UEFA’s attempt to present a united European front against the new FIFA project, which has already prompted calls among some member associations to consider boycotting FIFA competitions.

On Thursday, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin chaired an emergency meeting involving all 55 European national associations to coordinate opposition to the scheme. However, the Czech FA has made clear it does not intend to follow a hard‐line stance and instead sees potential benefits in the proposal.

Czech FA chief praises potential benefits

David Trunda, president of the Football Association of the Czech Republic, expressed enthusiasm for the venture, which is expected to be called “FIFA Forward Enterprise”. He argued the project could generate substantial funding for football development in his country.

Speaking to Sky News, Trunda said: “I can see the development of Czech football through close work and cooperation with president Infantino and his team. We need more details, but I see a clear positive impact of FIFA’s intentions in this new plan.”

He added that his federation’s recent experience of working with world football’s governing body had been overwhelmingly favourable.

“Since my election more than a year ago, all the projects we have implemented in cooperation with FIFA have been extremely positive for the development of football,” Trunda said.

His comments place the Czech FA at odds with the push led by UEFA, which has been seeking to rally its members against the restructuring of FIFA’s commercial operations.

FIFA’s new company structure

FIFA announced on Tuesday that it is setting up a new company that will take control of all its profit‐generating activities. These include the organisation and commercial rights of the World Cup, broadcasting rights, sponsorship agreements, ticketing and the staging of events.

Under the plan, FIFA will retain an 80% majority stake in the company while selling up to 20% of its shares to outside investors, including investment funds and private entities.

Supporters of the initiative within FIFA argue that bringing in external capital will significantly increase revenues, which can then be distributed to member associations for infrastructure projects and youth development.

However, critics within European football have raised concerns over governance, the influence of private investors on the sport’s flagship competition, and the long‐term implications of partially privatising World Cup income streams.

Blow to European unity

UEFA convened its emergency summit on Thursday in response to growing unease among European associations about the new structure and the possibility of ceding a share of World Cup‐related control to external financiers.

The meeting, led by Ceferin and attended by all 55 member federations, was aimed at building a common strategy to resist or reshape the project. Some officials had floated the idea of coordinated boycotts of FIFA competitions as a last resort if their concerns were not addressed.

The Czech FA’s early endorsement of the concept, even while it awaits finer details, underlines the difficulty UEFA may face in maintaining a unanimous European position as discussions with FIFA continue.