'Football Not For Sale': UEFA Backs FIFA's World Cup Investment U-Turn

UEFA has welcomed FIFA's decision to abandon its controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of its competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, describing the move as "a victory for the whole game." The European football governing body said the withdrawal of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project was a positive step for the sport, while urging FIFA to restore confidence through greater transparency, accountability and wider consultation with stakeholders.

In a strongly worded statement issued after FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed the proposal's withdrawal, UEFA said the plan had been unanimously rejected by its member associations and opposed by football federations and confederations across the world. Thanking fans, clubs, leagues, players, national associations and political leaders who spoke out against the proposal, UEFA declared that "football is not for sale" and said the reversal demonstrated the importance of protecting the sport's long-term interests over commercial considerations.

Despite welcoming FIFA's decision, UEFA sharply criticised the manner in which the proposal had been developed, alleging that it was prepared without adequate consultation or transparency. The organisation condemned what it described as "secret schemes" devised on accelerated timelines and questioned the decision-making process behind the initiative. UEFA said it would work with its member associations and other continental confederations in the coming weeks to examine how the proposal emerged and to prevent similar situations in the future.

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UEFA also questioned FIFA's financial rationale for seeking external investment, pointing out that the global governing body already holds reserves exceeding five billion US dollars. It argued that these resources should instead be used to expand the existing FIFA Forward programme and strengthen grassroots football, infrastructure and development initiatives across FIFA's 211 member associations. According to UEFA, such an approach would better serve the global football community without requiring the sale of commercial rights to private investors.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced the withdrawal of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project after widespread opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), CONCACAF and several other stakeholders. The proposal had envisaged creating a commercial subsidiary to manage FIFA's major competition rights while allowing external investors to acquire an equity stake. Although FIFA said the initiative was intended to generate additional revenue for member associations, Infantino acknowledged that it had created divisions within world football and decided to withdraw the plan in the interest of preserving unity across the global game.

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