Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup

I can't see the clubs supplying the players for free just so Trump and others can take all the profits!

UEFA are a waste of space , constantly moaning but of course never doing anything , all it would take is for UEFA to withdraw the European countries from the World Cup and FIFA is done .

Fifa has announced plans to sell the commercial rights to its tournaments, including the World Cup, to private investors in a controversial move that triggered an immediate backlash from Uefa and leading European clubs.

Uefa released a strongly-worded statement accusing Fifa of “attempting to sell the soul of football” and is believed to be considering its legal position, while sources at numerous elite clubs were highly critical of the proposal in private.

Fifa has confirmed it is working with US bank JP Morgan on setting up a new entity – to be called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) – that would raise hundreds of millions of dollars by selling a significant stake in the commercial rights of the men’s and women’s World Cups, and the Club World Cup to investors, with promises of an increase in distribution of “over $10bn” then being redistributed back to Fifa’s 211 member associations. Thrive Capital, an investment company founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is leading the search for investors.

The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, said the plan would see “the commercial side of the game [operating] as a focused, dedicated business, with its value shared more and better all around the world”. The plans are subject to approval by a “majority” of member associations, but Fifa declined to comment when asked when a vote will take place.

Numerous sources with knowledge of Fifa’s proposals said it is valuing the new commercial venture at around $20bn, with Infantino looking to cash in on football’s growing global popularity following this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Guardian revealed this month that Fifa’s revenues for the tournament would exceed $15bn, a significant increase on the projected figure of $13bn, with such growth appearing to embolden Infantino to seek further riches.

The revelation of the plans provoked an immediate backlash from Uefa, with the European governing body accusing Fifa of attempting to sell the soul of football. Relations between the two most powerful organisations in the sport are at an all-time low, with Uefa claiming Fifa undermined the integrity of the World Cup this month when it intervened to overturn the USA striker Falorin Balogun’s red card after President Trump had personally called on Infantino to do so.

“This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” Uefa said of the FFE plan. “Uefa takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game.

“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.”

Infantino had succeeded in keeping Fifa’s plans under wraps until reports of the proposal first emerged in the Times and Financial Times. Fifa Council members are understood to have been surprised by the announcement having been sidelined from the decision-making process.

It is the second occasion that Infantino has attempted to attract private capital to fund Fifa. In 2018, he agreed a deal in principle with Japanese bank SoftBank to provide $25bn in funding for an expanded Club World Cup and global Nations League, but failed to get sufficient support, largely due to opposition from Europe. Uefa and the clubs are again united against Fifa’s plans, but Infantino may have sufficient backing from elsewhere to be able to disregard them.

In its statement, Fifa said the new enterprise would enable it to increase the funding provided to each of the associations from $8m to $20m each year, a huge sum for the majority of their 211 members. Fifa also insisted it would retain responsibility for football’s governance and the international match calendar, but in reality inviting private investment in their commercial rights would subject the decision makers to significant external pressures. External investors could ultimately be given significant influence over decisions that affect the entire sport, leading to fears that they would seek to stage the World Cup more regularly and only permit it to be hosted in the most lucrative markets, such as the USA. Fifa said it would “carefully select long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests in FFE. All net benefits of FFE will be reinvested back into football worldwide.”

Infantino is expected to be re-elected unopposed as president next year despite the huge controversy he attracts, but under Fifa statutes must stand down in 2031 after serving three full terms. The Times reported, however, that Infantino has aspirations to serve as chair of the new commercial company, which could earn him tens of millions of dollars.

Commercial rights you say..
THat would be broadcasting I fancy.
Be an end to the BBC showing international tournaments. Probably ITV too.

Can't say as I am wholly surprised.
As long ago as 2002 FIFA were floating the idea of selling tv rights to media conglomerates. That fell through because the company involved, the Kirch group over extended themselves trying to meet FIFA's demands.

I should imagine the next world cup will be on Amazon or Apple TV or some such.
You'll be lucky to get highlights on the 'legacy' TV channels.

UEFA leave and it's game over, I don't understand why Infantino isn't more wary of this and even more surprised why UEFA don't threaten it, f00k the world cup if that's what it takes, it'll bring the whole rotten filth crashing down.

so bad i posted  it twice
apols

Then it's down to the fans then like it was with the Super league, boycotting the national game, that might be naive but if the fans say no loud enough the federations would have to listen, the players can always make themselves unavailable too, once it starts the momentum would gather pace.

If top European teams quit, the sponsorship revenue and tv revenue becomes about 10% of what it is currently... and if they play their own top 10 tourny at the same time, probably less than that..

the idea the top European nations have no clout is laughable frankly..

Morons stop going to games it ain t football it s betball

What is laughable is the notion of the english FA or the spanish FA withdrawing from international football governance.
What do you think Real Madrid are going to do if Senor Tebas decides to press the nuclear button?
They are a club with a billions dollars in revenues last season.
Spain pull out and all that is gone.
Mbappe will walk, Vini Jr, all their star players would go if their very large contracts are not beig met.
Florentino Perez will sooner sign a deal with Infantino than see all that go up in smoke.
Same with the Glazers, Kroenkes, Fenway, Sheikh Mansour, Todd Boehly. They didnt sign up for the english FA. They signed up with the Premier League.
I guarantee that if the english FA withdraw then all the clubs in the Prem would go to FIFA and get them to licence the EPL.
Nonsense talk.

And as for this idea that english football fans are revolutionaries foaming at the mouth at FIFA.
This aint the 1950s when the factories close on saturday and we all spill out to the football.
Most fans are middle aged season ticket holders who the old lady is only too happy to get out the house on a saturday afternoon so she can get some peace.
They meet up with their mates. Go to the pub. Have a moan at how carp their team is, go home and fall asleep before match of the day even begins.

UEFA are only mad because they didnt think up this idea before FIFA. Believe they care about as much for the beautiful game as Johnny does.

Once they have the World Cup, a European Super League won't be far away.

€£$ Money $£€

What is laughable is the notion of the english FA or the spanish FA withdrawing from international football governance.

They don't even have to withdraw from it's governance which is no doubt full of legal small print about agreements - possibly including participation but almost certainly not inclusive of massive changes to structure without consultation and broad agreement...you're focusing on one or two nations...hardly a stretch with Infantino and FIFA's low standing for UEFA to get a broad agreement amongst the more powerful and by default wealthy football associations..

This man Infantino represents all that is wrong in the world,never mind football.

Anyone who is against this is an antisemite

How is this clown unopposed for re-election?

UEFA needs to take a stand as the most powerful entity. It is more powerful than FIFA in reality. Demand another 10 WC places too while they're at it.

Becomes clearer why Balogun red card ban was rescinded

How would Europe leaving FIFA have any effect on the major leagues and the CL by way of loss of revenue, there won't be any effect.

The only way FIFA could create a fuss is when the European nations wanted to play a federation still in the World Cup in a friendly or something like that. We'd just have a Euro's every two years instead, the big players wouldn't care less about not being in a world cup.

But in any case it won't come to that, firmly threaten it and mean it and the whole thing collapses, but it shouldn't stop there, this would now be the time to go after Infantino whilst he'd be on the back foot.

Fifa & UEFQ will end up like boxing belts.

Europe is where the money is.

The world cup would be nothing without France, Spain, England, Germany & Italy

The south American & African countries top players nearly all play in Europe too.

The power in UEFA is with the clubs. Not with national FAs.

If for example the Royal Spanish Football Federation decided to withdraw from FIFA that would mean Real & Barca would almost certainly suffer any punishment FIFA would give the Spaniards.
THat would mean a ban, probably a lifetime ban given the vindictive nature of our times, for all clubs, owners, managers, administrators and players.

You really think there is any appetite for that?
Real and Barca's value would fall thru the floor. You think Florentino Perez is going to stand for that? Turning him into a pauper on the basis of some journalist's vanity project.

Just not going to happen.

What punishment would FIFA be able to give the Spanish, how would La Liga suffer, how would CL suffer financially

In the 1950s Colombia had a soccer league outside the governance of FIFA.
All players were not allowed to play international football as they were not registered with FIFA.
That was in more innocent times.

FIFA would ban all players in La Liga from international football.
UEFA will not secede from FIFA. So Real dont get to play in their tournament they consider their own. The UCL.
Its a financial calamity.

If Spain want to declare UDI and buy up all the worlds best players and create their own sort of super league, then fair play. Good luck.
But thats not what they are talking about is it?
If you take on FIFA you have to be in for the kill.
When you play the Game of Thrones you win or you die. There is no middle ground.

If UEFA separated from Fifa how could FIFA prevent those players playing in a Euros tournament? and again, how would it affect the club competitions within europe and the broadcasting finances attached to it.

UEFA is not going to separate from FIFA.
There are 54 members.
The majority are going to benefit from Infantino's plan.

So if Spain secede from FIFA and UEFA remains in FIFA then any bans Spain get from the world body will be applied in Europe also.
So no UCL for Real.
And financial armageddon.

Ah right, but I don't think that nations within Europe would fracture away from the rest of Europe, they'll all be in or out together.

At the end of the day it will come down to how much of an abomination to the game will be put up with in the name of money before someone says enough.

Let's get one thing straight. No one is going to ban Real Madrid or Barca  from La Liga or the Champions League.

Or their players from the Euros.

The Euros could be turned into a comp with more countries involved which would incentivise them to separate from FIFA as there would be money on the table for them.

Broadcasters would be queueing up to get the rights to an expanded Euro's, it would dwarf whatever was left of the WC.

Clubs spend 100s of millions on player to play foe THEM not Donald Trump.

Dont know what to say to that Nobby, I really dont.

As for the Euros, its a once every four year tournament.
Doesnt generate anywhere near the revenues that the UCL does for UEFA. (approx E2bn for a Euros, E4bn per season for a UCL)

UCL clubs employ players from outside europe, so UEFA have to tread carefully.
Its in nobody's interest, especially UEFA, to upset the delicate relationships with other federations.

Nothing will change , uefa will send strongly worded letters saying how terrible it is and then do nothing , all that will happen is players wages will rise , ticket prices will rise and there will be more meaningless matches .

Vini JR isn't going to abandon Madrid and all the riches of that and the CL because he wants to play for Brazil, not a chance.

Depends if Real can pay his wages.
If not he will be out of there faster than a Spurs player when they get relegated this season..

Where's he going to..Palmeiras?

Don't knock the Brazilian serie A.
Getting richer every year.
Think its catching up the French Ligue 1 at the moment and getting bigger every year.

The more we discuss this the more powerful UEFA is looking.

The clubs could simply charge the national associations loan fees for their players/

If Donald Trump is going to make money from the World Cup why shouldn't PSG, Arsenal, Barca etc?

If a club values a player on a 4 year contract at ÂŁ100m, ÂŁ25m a season of 50 games that's ÂŁ0.5m a game.

FIFA & UEFA have been in a d1ck-measuring contest ever since the revamped UCL at the start of the century.

It erked the world body that the europeans were coining in every year with their club tournament what the world cup brought for FIFA once every four.
Now under Johnny with his supersized world cup and his supersized world club cup FIFA are back in the game.
And now with this 'world cup privatisastion' deal FIFA are going to be top dogs again.

And UEFA don't like it one bit.
UEFA as has been shown a number of times is in hock to the clubs which dominate its champions league.
Basically this means Real Madrid.
Real have zero interest in this FIFA power play. Nothing can rock the Madrid boat. UEFA know this.
Take this criticism of FIFA too far, upset the ecosystem and Real will be off organising another Super League.

Johnny has the upper hand for now. UEFA are powerless to stop this new venture of his. The ball is in their court and they are looking at break point.

Further UEFA Statement

Today we have learned of FIFA’s deadline to associations to support their proposals or have the one-off payout offer withdrawn. This says everything you need to know about this plan.

But having held discussions with many stakeholders across the game, UEFA knows there is significant and growing opposition to FIFA’s scheme. FIFA cannot continue to use our sport to enrich themselves and their friends. We can grow the game correctly. It’s time to prioritise associations, clubs, leagues, players and fans.

n dont we/ europeans now have
two uefa tournaments nowadays
euro champs
n
national euros..
(wotever its called)...

n then fifa club world cup
n then squeeze in the fifa
wolrd cup someware

'My dangler  is bigger than yours Johnny'.

Infantino was head of UEFA before FIFA. Roles reversed if tuther way round I have no doubt. He's a pr1c of the highest order

So UEFA are to boycott the next World Cup.

Can it really still be called the world cup without Europe?

But isn't the next World Cup taking place in Morocco, Portugal & Spain!

It won't come to that, as long as they stand firm this move from Infantino will end here and now, what we need to happen though, whilst he's on the back foot is to seize the opportunity to try and get him out, maintain the threat to pull out regardless as long as he's in place.