British Leader Slams FIFA Investor Plan, Saying Football Belongs to Fans

Plans by the International Football Federation (FIFA) to establish a commercial company seeking investors to boost revenue from its tournaments have drawn sharp criticism. The proposal, announced Tuesday, aims to raise $4.2 billion (27.6 billion Danish kroner) for the new entity, named Fast Forward Programme (FFP), which would be valued at approximately $20 billion (131 billion kroner). FIFA intends to sell a minority stake, with all net profits to be reinvested in football.

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Let me say it directly. Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands, and who stand on the sidelines week after week - whether in rain or sunshine.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has voiced strong opposition to the initiative. "Let me say it directly. Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands, and who stand on the sidelines week after week - whether in rain or sunshine," Burnham stated on social media platform X. He specifically condemned the idea of investors buying into the World Cup, calling it "the biggest tournament in world sport" and asserting it has "never been anyone's to sell."

The European Football Association (UEFA) also signaled its disapproval, posting on X that "football's spirit and governance are not assets that can be traded - especially when there is no transparency regarding who profits from it." UEFA emphasized that "None of us own football. It is not up to FIFA to sell it."

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You can call the deal whatever you want. But once you have sold a part of it, you have sold out. Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will.

FIFA's proposal comes just over a week after the conclusion of a World Cup that faced criticism for excessively high ticket prices, despite generating record revenue for the organization. For the plan to proceed, it requires the backing of a majority of FIFA's 211 member nations.

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football's spirit and governance are not assets that can be traded - especially when there is no transparency regarding who profits from it. None of us own football. It is not up to FIFA to sell it.