Blatter attacks Fifa’s $20bn World Cup investor plan as ‘selling the game’

Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter has condemned proposals to sell a stake in a new $20bn World Cup business, warning that football’s global showpiece is “not a commercial asset that belongs to a handful of executives”.

Fifa announced on Tuesday that it intends to set up a subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other competitions, and is prepared to offer up to 20% of that new entity to external investors.

The plan has sparked an immediate backlash from within the game, with European authorities, including Uefa, accusing Fifa of effectively putting football up for sale.

Blatter, who led Fifa for 17 years until 2015, told Reuters that any move to turn the organisation into a profit-driven corporate vehicle would betray its founding principles.

“Football belongs to no individual and to no institution. It belongs to the people,” he said. “If Fifa were transferred into a profit-oriented corporate structure, it would lose its soul.”

‘Guardian, not owner’

Blatter argued that allowing private equity or other outside investors to buy into the World Cup would fundamentally change the nature of the tournament.

He insisted it must not be treated as a financial product designed to generate returns for shareholders.

“The Fifa World Cup is not a commercial asset that belongs to a handful of executives,” he said. “It is part of the cultural heritage of world football.

“Fifa is the guardian of the World Cup, not its owner.”

The 88-year-old Swiss official, who oversaw five World Cups during his time in charge, said he was “shocked” by the current leadership’s intentions and maintained such an idea would never have been entertained during his presidency.

He said the pursuit of influence and profit by outside investors was incompatible with the role of member associations that are supposed to defend the interests of the game and its participants.

Governance versus commercialisation

Fifa has presented the proposed subsidiary as a way to manage and commercialise its biggest events more efficiently, while attracting major capital to support future growth.

But Blatter said the governing body risked undermining a model that has sustained the sport for more than 100 years if it ceded any stake in its flagship competition.

“Modern football has survived for more than a century because it belongs to the people,” he said. “That principle should never change.”

European officials have voiced concern that selling off part of the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors would reduce the influence of national associations and confederations over how the game is run.

Uefa has been among the most vocal critics, accusing Fifa of crossing a line by turning the world’s most-watched sporting event into an investment vehicle.

Blatter, who left office in 2015 amid corruption investigations but has always portrayed himself as a defender of Fifa’s traditions, framed the latest proposals as a pivotal moment for the sport’s governance.

While he no longer holds any official role, his intervention underlines the scale of unease in some quarters over the balance between commercial revenue and football’s broader cultural and social responsibilities.