Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell stakes in the commercial rights of the World Cup have been backed by the Czechian Football Association. Infantino, 56, laid out ambitions to create a £15.5billion company to control its competitions while offering 20 per cent of it to outside investors.
The Swiss football figurehead has insisted each football association would receive up to $40m (£30m) in finding each, while those who decide not to join will only receive a fraction. News of Infantino’s letter to each federation, where he outlined the idea and imposed a deadline of September 19, was first reported by the Times this week. The proposal has been backed by Thirve Capital, an investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared. While the FA and UEFA have both opposed the plan, Czech FA president David Trunda has offered his public backing, which is a huge blow to any prospect of a European wide boycott of the plan.
He told Sky News: “I can see the pragmatic benefits for Czech football from working in close co-operation with [FIFA president] Gianni Infantino and his team. Of course we need more details, but my personal point of view is that I can see the positive impact of FIFA’s intentions.”
The proposed new venture would operate under the name ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’, with Infantino making it abundantly clear to FIFA’s 211 member nations that those signing up before 19th September would pocket a $40m (£30bn) windfall, while those failing to meet that deadline would receive considerably less.
UEFA and the FA are amongst the organisations to have issued public statements regarding the controversy, with the latter declaring they were “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,” they added.
UEFA stated that the plan “crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross”. It continued: “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.”
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who also forms part of the French club’s ownership structure, is the most recent prominent figure, working alongside beIN and Qatar’s sports investments, to voice opposition. “We urge for calm and thorough consultation… with more rigorous and transparent governance processes,” a statement read.
Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, likewise released an unambiguous statement on X in which he raised concerns about FIFA being “aligned with the financial interests of private entities”.
Conversely, the Czech FA president remarked: “I was elected a little more than a year ago, and for me personally all the projects I have experienced in cooperation with FIFA have been very positive for the development of European football.”