Fifa offers $40m if nations back controversial plan

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has written to all 211 member associations saying they will receive $40m (£30m) if they back his controversial plan to sell off stakes in its major competitions.

Infantino has set a deadline of 19 September for football federations to accept his plans if they want to access an initial $20m (£15m).

Football’s world governing body has said it wants to create a commercial subsidiary to run its main events, including the World Cup, and external investors will be able to buy stakes in it.

The incentive to nations comes less than 24 hours after the bombshell statement rocked football’s foundations, quickly leading to condemnation from Europe, Asia and North America.

It is understood Infantino even left some of Fifa’s eight vice-presidents in the dark about his plan, which it is claimed could raise $10bn (£7.52bn).

Infantino has signed a five-page letter, seen by the BBC, outlining the merits of his proposal.

The letter states if member associations respond positively by the deadline, $20m will be “available immediately” from 1 January 2027.

Fifa confirms the money will come from “liquidating a minority portion” of its stake on Fifa Forward Enterprise, a subsidiary company set up to maximise commercial revenue that will include private investors.

Although Fifa suggested Infantino gave a broad outline of his proposal at a council meeting just before the World Cup final earlier this month, others who were present rejected this strongly. They say Infantino merely offered an aspirational vision for the future around maximising revenue streams.

They now believe they were duped, with the events of the past 24 hours leading them to conclude negotiations have all been completed and now they are being presented with a fait-accompli.

“It is my duty and responsibility as Fifa president to present such game-changing opportunities to you, our members,” said Infantino.

“It is equally my duty and responsibility to ensure such proposals are sufficiently complete and feasible, replete with substantiated figures and clear terms to assist you in the decision-making process.”

Opposition to the plan has been fierce, with many citing the lack of due process as the first point of their anger.

An FA spokeswoman said: “We were completely unaware of this proposal and have no substantive details, including what the proposition actually is and what conditions are attached.

“Based on the limited information, we are deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance to get to this point, and the apparent substance and principles involved.

“When the proposal is shared in the full and transparent way now promised by Fifa, we will make our views clear and comment further.”

European football’s governing body Uefa took the remarkable step of issuing a response to Fifa’s plans before they had been published on Tuesday, responding to initial newspaper reports.

Uefa condemned the plans, saying they “crossed a line”. It intends to hold an emergency meeting of all 55 members later this week to work on a plan of action.

Given the strength of feeling, it would be a surprise if the possibility of a boycott was not at least raised.

For Uefa, the situation is complex.

While the confederation only accounts for a quarter of Fifa’s 211-country membership, it does include most of the world’s most successful teams.

Six of the eight quarter-finalists – including winners Spain – at this summer’s World Cup were European. In the 2022 and 2018 editions, the figures were five and six respectively.

Uefa knows any competition Fifa puts together would be far less valuable if its members were not involved.

Fifa’s argument that it is compelled to look at proposals that would help it grow the game globally has led to fears about expansion at a time when proposals for a 64-team World Cup in 2030, which will be hosted by six countries in three confederations, are gathering pace.

That would have huge implications for the football calendar, which is already squeezed, partly because of the expansion of European club competitions.

One senior source within the English game told BBC Sport that the threat posed by Fifa’s plan is one of the biggest the game has faced and is on a par with the proposed European Super League, which created such controversy in 2021 and was scrapped within 48 hours.

It seems unlikely that Fifa will back down in the same manner over this.

This latest escalation extends a difficult relationship between Fifa and Uefa, which responded angrily to attempts to host the World Cup every two years when the idea was floated by former Arsenal manager and Fifa’s current chief of global football development Arsene Wenger in 2021.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final this month in protest over a number of controversial moves, including US President Donald Trump stepping in to help turn USA forward Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban into a suspended ban, allowing him to play in the last-16 encounter with Belgium.

Uefa is not the only organisation unhappy with the situation.

Concacaf, which covers North and Central America and hosted this summer’s World Cup, is also concerned at the turn of events.

“We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process,” the organisation said in its own statement.

“We share the disappointment of many within our region and the game that this level of detail has been designed and shared publicly before any discussion with the relevant governance bodies and stakeholders has taken place.

“As leaders within football, we are the custodians of the game. Collectively, Fifa, the confederations and every member association have a responsibility to always act in the best interests of the sport.”

The French Football Federation said: “It obviously raises many questions, particularly ‌since we, the member federations, were not involved and we lack the specific information needed to weigh in on matters that are clearly fundamental to the future of football.”

La Liga president Javier Tebas accused Infantino of trying to buy votes before the next Fifa Congress in March.

“It doesn’t seem like a reform. It seems like an electoral campaign financed with the future of football,” Tebas said.

“Development cannot be used to buy votes or silences. The competitions and commercial rights of Fifa are not the personal patrimony of Infantino.

“Whoever mixes politics, discipline, money and power without transparency cannot lead anything.

“Infantino is not the solution to Fifa’s governance. He is the problem.”

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said: “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.”

Hans-Joachim Watzke, vice-president of the German Football Association (DFB) and president of Borussia Dortmund, told Kicker magazine that Fifa’s plans are an “absolute attack on football”.

He added: “A line has been crossed here. At the World Cup, six European teams reached the quarter-finals and three the semi-finals. If European football stands united against these plans, that carries a great deal of weight.”

Infantino’s predecessor Sepp Blatter weighed in, writing on X: “The close relationship between the Fifa president and the US President [Donald Trump] has reached a financial dimension that is deeply damaging football. No-one has the right to sell our game.”

European Football Clubs (EFC), an organisation representing over 850 clubs, said it would have been “appropriate” for Fifa to consult them on “a proposal of such magnitude”.

It added: “We urge for calm and thorough consultation on all topics affecting the football ecosystem, together with more rigorous and transparent governance processes put in place to protect the game for the long term.”

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) said it has “not yet received any substantial details from Fifa concerning the reported proposals” and that it “is concerned that such matters have become public prior to being shared with Fifa’s member associations”.

However, there was support for the plan from a Uefa member in the shape of Czech Republic FA president David Trunda.

He told Sky News he could “see the pragmatic benefits for Czech football”.

“Of course we need more details but my personal point of view is that I can see the positive impact of Fifa’s intentions,” he added.

Global players’ union Fifpro has called on Fifa to “reconsider its proposal without further delay”.

It said it had “noted with deep concern the proposal to transform the Fifa World Cup and other Fifa competitions into investable assets for private capital”.

It said such a move “would fundamentally and irreversibly reshape the incentives underpinning the competitions” and that it was “particularly troubling that a project of this magnitude has been developed largely behind closed doors” when it had “potentially far-reaching implications for player welfare, the international match calendar and the future governance of the game”.