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FIFA presses on as UEFA threatens boycott over $4.2B plan

FIFA says it will continue consulting members on a plan to raise up to $4.2 billion from private investors, despite UEFA’s unanimous conditional boycott and Concacaf’s rejection.

Published about 4 hours ago
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FIFA presses on as UEFA threatens boycott over $4.2B plan
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Europe draws a line around the World Cup

UEFA and all 55 of its member associations have unanimously pledged to stay out of FIFA competitions while a proposal to admit private investors remains alive. The conditional boycott would cover men’s and women’s World Cups as well as other FIFA tournaments, unless the plan is abandoned and FIFA gives binding assurances against opening its competitions or governance to private ownership.nytimes +1

The confrontation escalated after FIFA said it would continue consulting its 211 member associations despite the European vote. In a Friday statement, the governing body said “Nobody is selling football” and argued that every association should be allowed to judge the proposal for itself.dw +1

A $4.2 billion offer with a September deadline

FIFA wants to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a subsidiary that would handle commercial and event operations including broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing rights. It plans to retain control while selling as much as 21% to outside investors, targeting up to $4.2 billion at a valuation of about $20 billion.nytimes +1

The plan needs a simple majority of FIFA’s members, or 106 votes, plus approval from the FIFA Council. Associations have until September 19 to support the proposal, with FIFA offering each federation access to as much as $40 million across an initial payment and its 2027–2030 development program.bbc Thrive Eternal, linked to venture-capital firm Thrive Capital and founder Joshua Kushner, is expected to lead the investor group.cnbc

Opposition reaches beyond UEFA

Concacaf’s 41 associations also rejected the proposal, citing poor process, limited consultation and an artificially short deadline, though the confederation stopped short of joining the boycott. The Asian Football Confederation criticized the lack of consultation, while Africa’s CAF plans to assess the proposal at an executive committee meeting.bbc +1

Those blocs make the vote—and the economics—far less certain. UEFA and Concacaf together account for 96 associations, leaving FIFA little room to lose support elsewhere if their opposition holds.bbc A tournament without Europe’s leading national teams would also undermine the broadcast and sponsorship income supporting the proposed valuation.

The first senior competition potentially exposed is the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with confederation-run qualifiers due to begin in October. The men’s tournament follows in Spain, Portugal and Morocco in 2030.nytimes Before then, the immediate test is whether FIFA modifies or withdraws the scheme—or tries to assemble a majority by the September deadline while its most commercially powerful region refuses to participate.