FIFA President Infantino's World Cup Investor Plan Called 'Extremely Dangerous'

FIFA President Gianni Infantino intends to allow external investors to participate in a company that will organize future football World Cups, a move that has raised significant concerns. Antoine Duval, a sports law expert at the Asser Institute in The Hague, believes this plan is "extremely dangerous" for the sport.

Duval explained that FIFA's statutes require the organization to promote and develop football, maintain the game's integrity, and run its own competitions. He argues that selling a portion of the revenue generated from these prestigious events to investors could directly conflict with these foundational rules. "Investors are not development aid workers," Duval stated, emphasizing their profit-driven motives.

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The Fifa has the task of promoting and developing football, maintaining the integrity of the game and organizing its own competitions. That is what its statutes say.

Despite the potential risks, Duval suggested that FIFA could still be stopped from proceeding with this plan. The specifics of how investors would be involved and the exact nature of the company remain unclear, but the core issue revolves around the potential compromise of football's integrity and developmental goals for financial gain.

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It could run counter to these rules to sell off part of the income from these competitions to investors. They want to make profits. They are not development aid workers.