FIFA has abandoned plans to sell rights for the World Cup. The…
FIFA has abandoned plans to sell rights for the World Cup. The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) has dropped plans to sell portions of the World Cup rights to private investors amid sharp criticism and threats of a boycott from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
Consensus
- FIFA abandoned plans to sell part of the commercial rights to the World Cup to private equity investors.
- The decision was made after significant criticism from football federations and threats of a boycott.
- Gianni Infantino, FIFA's president, stated that the project caused divisions that no longer aligned with its original goals.
- The project, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), aimed to raise funds by selling up to 21% of the company's stake.
- The initiative was criticized for potentially compromising the independence of football and for being pursued without sufficient consultation.
- UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation opposed the plan.
- All 55 UEFA member associations threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments if the sale proceeded.
- Infantino emphasized that FIFA's goal has always been to unite and develop football globally.
Points of divergence
- The investment group was reportedly led by a structure associated with Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. — fontanka
- All 55 members of UEFA, including Russia (which is suspended from international competitions), declared they would boycott World Cups if the sale was approved. — meduza
- The deadline for national associations to approve the plan was set for September 19. — tg_dwglavnoe
- The key investor was said to be Thrive Eternal, led by Joshua Kushner. — kommerant
- The project was expected to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling up to 20% of the company. — vm
- Thrive Capital, the venture company reportedly leading the investor group, questioned the feasibility of the deal. — fontanka
- Infantino stated that the project would help strengthen national associations. — vesti
- The senior advisor to Infantino, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned in protest. — fontanka
- The main operational director, Kevin Lammour, criticized Infantino for 'gross disrespect' in pushing the project without consultation. — vm
Coverage (14 sources)
- Infantino says he is dropping the project to sell a share of the World Cup rights due to harsh criticism from football officials and a split... — ТАСС (Telegram)
- FIFA President Changed His Mind on Selling Part of World Cup Rights to Investors — Фонтанка
- FIFA abandoned idea to sell share in World Cup after wave of criticism — Вечерняя Москва
- FIFA has abandoned the idea of partially privatizing the World Cup — Дождь
- FIFA has abandoned plans to sell a share in the World Cup to private investors — Meduza
- UEFA boycott forced Infantino to abandon investment project — Вести
- ⚽️ FIFA abandoned plans to sell World Cup rights — DW Главное
- FIFA declined to sell share of World Cup rights to private investors, reports New York Post. According to source, in International... — ТАСС (Telegram)
- Infantino confirmed the refusal to sell the share of rights to the World Cup — Коммерсантъ
- NYP: FIFA decided not to sell shares of rights to the World Cup to private investors — Коммерсантъ
- FIFA denied the sale of rights to the World Cup to private investors — РИАМО
- In the Asian Football Confederation, they called on FIFA to "review the management system" — Коммерсантъ
- CONCACAF rejected offer by Infantino to sell World Cup share to private investors — Коммерсантъ
- CONCACAF rejected FIFA's proposal to sell part of World Cup rights — Вести
Key entities
- FIFA
- FIFA
- Gianni Infantino
- UEFA
- CONCACAF
- Moscow
- New York Post
- Severnoy
- International Federation of Football Associations
- FFE
- Reuters
- The Guardian
- Europe
- Tsargrad