Infantino plan to sell World Cup stakes sparks UEFA fury
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is reported to want to sell stakes in the World Cup and Club World Cup to private investors, prompting a furious response from UEFA.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
FIFA is facing a growing row over reported plans to sell stakes in its biggest tournaments to private investors. The proposal, linked to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, would see the governing body create a for-profit subsidiary to take outside investment in the World Cup and the Club World Cup.
Under the plan, the new company would run football's major global properties. FIFA is technically a non-profit organisation, but the subsidiary would be commercial and would take private money. Reports suggest the main investors could include Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner. Questions have also been raised about who Infantino has consulted, with references to contacts of Donald Trump.
FIFA has said the plan is not a done deal. Each of the 211 national associations, including the Football Association in England, would take a stake. The key unresolved issue is who would control the new commercial entity. The plan has not been agreed by the FIFA Council.
UEFA is furious. It said the proposal crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross. In a quoted response, it added: 'None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell.'
The row follows a World Cup in the United States that was widely seen as highly successful but also heavily commercialised. The tournament drew criticism over advertising breaks disguised as water breaks, and over political intervention after Donald Trump pressed FIFA to suspend a red card for a star striker.
FIFA has a long history of scandal, and the latest proposal has renewed debate about who owns and controls the game's biggest competitions. Critics argue that selling stakes in the World Cup and Club World Cup would hand private investors too much influence over football's most valuable assets.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| FIFA is planning a for-profit subsidiary to take private investment for running the World Cup and Club World Cup. | |
| FIFA says the plan is not finalised and that 211 national associations would take a stake. | |
| UEFA opposes the plan, regarding it as exceeding acceptable limits and disputing FIFA's right to sell football. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 4 News framed the proposal as a governance crisis over who owns football, not just a business story. It stressed FIFA's scandal-prone past, the possible role of figures linked to Donald Trump and Jared Kushner, and UEFA's anger. It also noted that the plan has not been approved by the FIFA Council and tied it to the commercialisation of the recent World Cup in the United States.
- “Goes to the heart of who owns football.”
- “UEFA are furious and I'll quote you. They say this crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell.”
- “FIFA say this isn't a done deal yet and each of the 211 National Associations, so that's the FA here, would take a stake but the issue really is who would be in control of this new commercial entity.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.