By Eleeh Divine
FIFA is facing mounting criticism across global football after unveiling plans to set up a commercial subsidiary to manage its flagship competitions including the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup and open the venture to external private investors.
The contentious proposal has sparked deep concern among governing bodies that private investors could gain unprecedented leverage over the sport’s most lucrative tournaments. Critics warn the move could drive further expansion of already bloated tournament schedules.
Although FIFA formally announced the plan on Tuesday following initial reports by the Financial Times and The Times, it has since emerged that several senior football officials—including at least two FIFA vice-presidents were kept in the dark before the announcement.
The English Football Association condemned FIFA’s lack of transparency and governance, stating it was completely unaware of the proposal.
UEFA delivered a sharp rebuke, declaring that FIFA had “crossed a line.” Europe’s governing body is expected to discuss its formal response during an emergency virtual meeting, with reports suggesting a potential boycott of FIFA competitions could be raised, though no decision has been made.
Concacaf echoed UEFA’s outrage, accusing FIFA of bypassing established governance procedures and sidelining key stakeholders.
“As leaders within football, we have a collective responsibility to always act in the best interests of the sport,” Concacaf said in a statement.
UEFA’s pushback carries immense weight given European teams’ historic dominance on the global stage. Officials fear the commercial push could accelerate proposals to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, adding severe strain to an already congested international calendar.
One senior English football figure described FIFA’s move as one of the single biggest threats to the game in recent history, drawing comparisons to the aborted European Super League project.
FIFA, however, defended the strategy, arguing it is essential for the global growth of the game. According to the governing body, the new commercial structure would boost global development funding to $10 billion and provide each of its 211 member associations with up to $20 million in one-off capital injections.
The controversy marks the latest flashpoint in an increasingly fractured relationship between FIFA and UEFA. The two bodies have repeatedly clashed in recent years over initiatives such as the discarded biennial World Cup proposal, with tensions reaching a boiling point earlier this summer when UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin boycotted the World Cup final over a series of disputed decisions.
