FIFA’s Under-15 World Cup plan considered private investment and Disney finale

A proposed global tournament for Under-15 national teams, backed by private investors and modelled partly on baseball’s Little League World Series, was explored by FIFA president Gianni Infantino before being placed on hold.

The project would have created a youth football festival involving teams from all 211 FIFA member associations. The first edition was intended to be a boys-only competition, with shorter matches played at smaller venues than those normally used for major international tournaments.

The plans come as Infantino faces growing criticism over his decision to abandon a separate proposal for a commercial company that would have been responsible for selling part of FIFA’s assets and activities. That initiative had prompted considerable debate across the international football community.

According to The Athletic, Infantino held discussions with private-sector investors during the past year about developing and marketing an event similar to a World Cup for Under-15 teams. The concept was inspired by the Little League World Series, the prominent youth baseball competition held in the United States.

The proposed event was described as a “youth football festival”, with the participation of national teams representing every FIFA member association. The initial tournament was expected to involve only boys, while its format would have differed from a conventional international competition through shorter games and the use of reduced-size pitches or grounds.

Eldridge Industries was identified as a potential supporter of the project, according to the report. The company was founded and is chaired by Todd Boehly, who is also chairman of Chelsea and one of the owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Discussions were also held with ESPN, the long-standing broadcaster of the Little League World Series. One proposal was to stage the tournament at the Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida.

Under that plan, ESPN would have broadcast the matches in the United States, while the opening and closing ceremonies would have taken place inside Disney’s theme parks.

The idea of creating a FIFA tournament for Under-15 national teams had already been presented at a meeting of the FIFA Council in December 2025, The Athletic reported. However, the possible commercial structure behind the competition, including private investment and outside involvement in its organisation and development, had not previously been made public.

The plans were reportedly put on hold before the World Cup began in June. It remains unclear whether the proposed tournament has been abandoned permanently or could be revived at a later date.

The Under-15 proposal is the latest project linked to Infantino to attract attention as FIFA considers new ways to expand its competitions and commercial operations. No final decision on the future of the youth tournament has been disclosed.