Global backlash erupts as Infantino plans to sell World Cup shares

FIFA‑voorzitter Gianni Infantino (56) is weighing a billion‑dollar deal to sell shares of the WK football tournament to private investors, a move reported by the Britse newspaper The Times. The proposal has ignited a worldwide protest, with the Europese Commissie publicly warning against the plan. and a note to set Google-favorietliveblogBekijk were mentioned in the source material.

According to The Times, individuals from the omgeving of Donald Trump have already been approached, including tech investor Joshua Kushner, who is linked to the Trump family. The report says these contacts are being considered as potential investors in the deal.

European Commission sport commissioner Glenn Micallef used X to denounce the plan, calling the commercialisation a threat to football. He wrote, "Commercial success should strengthen football, not destroy it. Stay away from our sport," adding that "this is not baseball" and warning of conflicts of interest.

The UEFA, CONCACAF and the Belgian football federation (KBVB) have all voiced concern. UEFA’s statement said the soul of football is not a commodity, while CONCACAF warned that the proposal bypasses normal processes. The KBVB said it is studying the proposal internally and will consult other federations.

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Javier Tebas, de grote baas van La Liga, slammed the idea as a political campaign rather than reform. He accused Infantino of using development to buy votes and called the plan "the problem, not the solution."

Andy Burnham, the newly appointed Britse premier, also criticised the move, stating that football belongs to the fans in the stands and that the WK is "the most beautiful competition in sport, not a product to be sold."

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Former FIFA‑voorzitter Sepp Blatter joined the chorus, saying the financial ties between Infantino and the US president damage the game. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin previously boycotted a World Cup final over similar concerns about commercial expansion and rule changes.

FIFA intends to create a new company, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to acquire the commercial rights of the men’s and women’s World Cups and the club World Cup. The structure would keep 50 % with FIFA, allocate 20‑30 % to the 211 member associations, and sell the remaining shares to private investors, targeting $4.2 billion in funding. De plan raises fears that private investors could push for more frequent tournaments and a larger field of participants.