Fifa for sale: Gianni Infantino’s $4.2bn private investment gamble sparks global backlash

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has never strayed far from controversy since he ascended to his position as global soccer’s leader. Now the Swiss soccer administrator is under renewed scrutiny worldwide after it was revealed that he intends to sell off a portion of Fifa to private investors.

Under the proposal, global soccer’s custodian would invite “diverse” private investment via a newly created subsidiary which they have named the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). With this arrangement, these various private investors would own a 20% stake in FFE and, by extension, in Fifa.

Their responsibilities would include selling World Cup TV rights, ticket deals and attracting big brand sponsorships. Fifa says it is aiming to raise $4.2-billion (about R70-billion) through this latest Infantino innovation.

According to Infantino, this venture, if voted for by Fifa’s 211 member associations, would “unleash the commercial potential and opportunity that Fifa has”. Fifa says most of the money would be shared among the members.

Fifa’s autonomy

Currently, Fifa is in different commercial relationships which strengthen its ability to stage its flagship tournament successfully. But these are sponsorships and partnerships, allowing Fifa to generally retain its autonomy. Of course, even in such cases the lines can be blurred, as evidenced by the controversial hydration breaks at the 2026 World Cup.

Disguised as water breaks meant to protect players from the extreme heat in some venues that hosted World Cup games, they doubled as advertising opportunities for broadcasters. Fifa distanced itself from this, saying the broadcasters had paid for the World Cup rights and had autonomy to decide how they used the unconventional stoppages.

Although under Infantino, Fifa’s modus operandi has been to dismiss all critics and sometimes telling them to “chill”, and it will be tough to fend off the naysayers for this latest development. Especially as it comes full circle to his cosy relationship with controversial US President Donald Trump.

The proposed lead investor for FFE is Thrive Capital, a venture capital firm founded and run by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared, Trump’s son-in-law. An incredible coincidence.

British publication The Times, which broke the story, also reported that Infantino stood to profit directly from the scheme by becoming commissioner of the FFE after his upcoming term as Fifa boss ends in 2031. He is expected to be re-elected for a third full term (and a fourth overall) when Fifa holds its elective congress in Morocco in March 2027. In 2016, Infantino replaced compatriot Sepp Blatter, who was removed on the back of corruption and fraud allegations.

Fifa’s FFE plan

“Football is the world’s most popular sport and an extraordinary engine of human and social development,” Infantino said about his controversial proposal. “Parts of the game have turned that popularity into remarkable commercial value – and we celebrate that success and want it to continue, because it lifts the whole game. Our job is to make sure the rest of football grows with it: Fifa exists to support sustainable, inclusive development in every corner of the world.

“As its global governing body, Fifa is responsible for making sure the game reaches every corner of the world, and that the value it creates supports federations and communities everywhere,” Infantino said.

“Our next stage of growth needs a structure built for it, one where the commercial side of the game operates as a focused, dedicated business, with its value shared more and better all around the world. Every Fifa member association should have an opportunity to seek a fair share of the available funding to shape its own future, deciding for itself rather than relying on others. This is about the democratisation of football worldwide,” the 56-year-old added.

“We intend to invest heavily even in the smallest or most remote parts of the footballing world, places that are too often passed over. Every member association, whatever its size, resources or geographic location, will have a voice and the opportunity to determine its own course. Football has become a truly global game and so the benefits must be felt globally,” he said.

Fifa and Infantino have promised each member association $20-million (about R335-million) for the first cycle of this proposal, which runs from 2027 to 2030. It would then increase by $2-million for the next two cycles, according to the federation.

Criticism of Fifa

The Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) has heavily criticised this proposal, saying: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross. Uefa takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association. So should every stakeholder 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.”

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) was also highly critical of Fifa, saying: “While the AFC recognises the importance of exploring innovative approaches that can strengthen the future of global football, initiatives of this scale and consequence must be founded upon the principles of good governance, transparency and meaningful consultation.”

While federations such as Uefa may not be afraid to be critical of Fifa’s shenanigans, smaller federations such as those in Africa will be looking at the proposal and drooling. That amount of money can make major changes to the soccer programmes of countries in these continents. At a recent press conference in Johannesburg, Confederation of African Football (CAF) boss Patrice Motsepe threw his weight behind Infantino.

“He’s (Infantino) not just a good friend. He’s a loyal friend. He’s loyal to Africa. I come from a background where, when people have been loyal to you, you never stab them in the back. You never do that,” Motsepe said at a press conference.

“I always look at the heart of a person. We are all human. We all have weaknesses and frailties, and we all make mistakes. I make more mistakes than anybody else. But what I like is his deep love for football, his deep commitment to football around the world and his support for Africa,” the CAF boss added.

The biggest question from all of this is how Fifa will separate its core values from the interests and demand for return on investment from the private entities it is inviting in. It is unlikely that they will be successful if all the drama and conflict of interest from the recently concluded World Cup are a barometer. DM