Infantino faces mounting resistance as CONCACAF rejects FIFA commercial venture

Gianni Infantino is confronting a deepening crisis over his flagship commercial restructuring plan after CONCACAF formally joined UEFA in rejecting FIFA’s proposed new business vehicle for World Cup rights and other major competitions.

The North, Central American and Caribbean confederation said all 41 of its member associations had unanimously opposed the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” proposal at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, leaving the FIFA president at odds with the two most powerful regions in world football.

In a strongly worded statement, CONCACAF warned that “the future of football and its most valuable assets must remain in the hands of the football family”, voicing serious concerns over what it described as a lack of proper legal process, an artificially imposed deadline, and the absence of oversight or approval from FIFA’s own governing bodies.

The confederation also questioned why private capital was being sought so soon after what it called the most profitable World Cup in the tournament’s history, saying it wanted a clearer explanation before any such step was taken.

FIFA plan under scrutiny

Infantino’s blueprint centres on the creation of a new FIFA-owned subsidiary that would manage the commercial rights of the World Cup, the Club World Cup and other global tournaments.

Under the proposal, FIFA would seek an initial capital injection of up to $4.2bn, valuing the new entity at around $20bn. Between 20% and 30% of the company’s shares would be sold to private-sector investors as minority stakes, with FIFA insisting that no outside party would hold a controlling interest.

FIFA has rejected accusations that it is planning to sell the World Cup, stressing that the governing body would retain ownership and control of its showpiece competition and all other tournaments covered by the restructuring.

World football’s governing body has also pledged that “all net profits” generated by the new company would be reinvested into the global development of the game. As part of the pitch to member associations, FIFA has set out plans to increase funding to each of its 211 member federations from $8m in the 2023-2026 cycle to $20m for 2027-2030.

Calls for transparency and use of reserves

Despite those assurances, CONCACAF ended its statement with a pointed demand for “greater transparency and good governance”, and pressed FIFA to clarify how it intends to use its substantial financial reserves before looking to external investors.

The confederation reminded Infantino that any major commercial and structural changes must follow the governance channels and procedures laid down in FIFA’s statutes, signalling unease not only with the content of the proposal but the way it has been advanced.

CONCACAF’s stance followed within hours of UEFA declaring that it was prepared to boycott all FIFA competitions if the plan to sell equity stakes linked to the World Cup went ahead.

That warning from European football’s governing body marked an unprecedented escalation in tensions between UEFA and FIFA over control of the game’s most lucrative assets and the direction of global governance.

Infantino loses key ally

Infantino had been counting on support from confederations in the Americas to counter European resistance and help push the commercial revamp through. Instead, CONCACAF’s public break with the project has deprived him of what had been viewed within FIFA as a crucial strategic ally.

With UEFA threatening to walk away from FIFA competitions and CONCACAF now firmly aligned against the proposal, Infantino faces a major test of his authority and vision at the helm of world football.

The outcome of this power struggle over who ultimately shapes and benefits from football’s biggest properties could have far-reaching implications for how the global game is governed and financed in the years ahead.