Infantino eyes World Cup stake sale to private investors, plans to lead new entity

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is reportedly planning to sell stakes in the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors, a move that could generate tens of millions of euros for himself. According to The Times, a preliminary agreement for this arrangement has already been signed.

The plan involves establishing a new company to manage the men's, women's, and club World Cups. FIFA would hold a majority stake, while private investors, led by US firm Thrive Capital, would initially purchase 20-30 percent for several billion dollars. Each of FIFA's 211 member associations would also hold a small share.

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This crosses a line that football's governing bodies should never cross. Uefa takes the matter very seriously. So should all national football associations and every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, fans, governments, and everyone who cares about the future of the sport.

Infantino is also expected to lead this new company after his term as FIFA president ends in 2027, with potential earnings approaching those of the NFL commissioner, estimated at 56 million euros annually. This would be more than ten times his current FIFA salary.

However, the proposal has drawn sharp criticism from UEFA, Europe's football governing body. In a statement, UEFA declared that "football's soul and governance should not be tradable commodities." They emphasized that no one owns football and FIFA cannot decide to sell it, expressing serious concern for the future of the sport.

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Football's soul and governance are not commodities to be traded – especially without any transparency about who benefits financially. Nobody owns football. Fifa cannot decide to sell it.