FIFA president Gianni Infantino has reportedly told federations they could bank a whopping £30million by signing up to the controversial World Cup sell-off plan. It was confirmed on Tuesday that football’s governing body are looking to sell off parts of the World Cup to private investors, with suggestions some of them have links to Donald Trump.
However, the nations will have just over a month to commit themselves to the plan, or else their slice of the pie will be dramatically reduced. That’s according to The Times, who report Infantino informed FIFA nations about the proposal in a letter, with the plan having caused outrage among certain federations.
Infantino’s letter, which has been seen by The Times, is said to read: “The decision on whether or not to proceed with this proposal belongs entirely to you. Should you wish to proceed this $10billion package will become available as of January 1, 2027, ushering in the next phase of our journey together.
“Should you wish to retain the status quo and reject this proposal we still have our planned expansion of the Forward programme [development money] of $2.7billion as previously presented. In total for the upcoming cycle starting as of January 1, 2027 each member association will have the possibility of access up to $40million per member association under this proposal.”
In response, sources have told the outlet it is tantamount to bribery, with some critics pointing towards the upcoming FIFA presidential election, which is due to be held next year. There have been separate reports that UEFA are planning an emergency meeting with all 55 nations, while some have suggested a World Cup boycott could be on the cards.
Reacting to the news, UEFA said in a statement: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross.
“UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every national football association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”
Meanwhile, a statement from the English FA read: “We were completely unaware of this proposal and have no substantive details, including what the proposition actually is, and what conditions are attached. Based on the limited information, we are deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance to get to this point, and the apparent substance and principles involved. When the proposal is shared in the full and transparent way now promised by FIFA, we will make our views clear, and comment further.”