Infantino defends FIFA proposal to sell World Cup stake after opposition from UEFA

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the governing body’s proposal to sell a minority stake in a new commercial entity to oversee the World Cup and its other competitions, describing it as an “opportunity, not an obligation” after the idea drew fierce opposition from several soccer authorities.

FIFA announced earlier this week that it plans to set up a $20 billion subsidiary to manage the commercial rights to the World Cup and its other tournaments. According to the proposal, the governing body would offer up to a 20% stake in the new entity to external investors.

The plan drew strong criticism from regional football confederations, who said they were blindsided by FIFA’s move to bring private investors into the commercial side of the sport. The confederations have expressed concerns about both the lack of consultation and the implications of allowing outside investment in football’s biggest competitions.

However, Infantino insisted that strengthening the commercial side of the game was a natural next step in football’s evolution and stressed that the proposal was only the start of a wider consultation process.

“It is part of a democratic process, a consultative process and above all it is an opportunity but not an obligation,” Infantino said in a video provided by FIFA on Wednesday.

“As I said, it starts the consultation process. FIFA is one of the richest sports organizations in the world, generating billions of dollars in revenue primarily through broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals and other commercial deals associated with the FIFA World Cup. The governing body believes that the creation of a dedicated commercial subsidiary could free up further long-term investment while supporting the growth of its global competitions.

Responding to concerns that private investment could influence the governance of football, Infantino argued that fans would remain at the heart of the sport and that FIFA’s independence would not be compromised.

“Of course, FIFA continues to govern football without any outside interference,” Infantino said.

“And the flagship tournaments it hosts, like the FIFA World Cup or the FIFA Women’s World Cup, will always remain.”

The controversy comes just weeks after the 48-team expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup closed, but discussions about the competition’s future are already gathering pace. Spain lifted the trophy after defeating Argentina in the final, but despite the tournament’s commercial success and global reach, it was also criticized for a number of organizational problems.

With the dust barely settled on the 2026 edition, FIFA’s proposal to reshape the World Cup’s commercial structure has opened a new debate about the balance between attracting investment and preserving the governance and integrity of football’s most prestigious tournament.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

30 Jul 2026 15:35 IST