European football has delivered its most dramatic challenge to FIFA's authority in years, with UEFA's 55 member nations unanimously voting to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions in response to president Gianni Infantino's controversial plan to sell a minority stake in the game's biggest tournament to private equity investors. The rebellion is spreading rapidly, with a senior FIFA advisor resigning in protest and the North American football confederation also rejecting the proposal.
What is the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan?
The proposal, which Infantino revealed to FIFA's 211 member associations earlier this week, would create a $US20 billion commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The new entity would take control of the sport's most lucrative commercial rights — including broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing — as well as the operation of FIFA tournaments, among them both the men's and women's World Cups.
Under the plan, up to 20 per cent of FFE would be sold to external investors, with the core investor expected to be Thrive Eternal, a fund run by Thrive Capital. That firm was founded by Joshua Kushner — the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law to US President Donald Trump.
To win support, Infantino wrote directly to all 211 member associations promising that approval of FFE would double their basic funding from $US10 million to $US20 million over the next four years, with projected total funding of $US86 million each through to 2038 — compared with around $US36 million under the current arrangement. A mid-September deadline was set for members to accept the offer.
UEFA leads the boycott as opposition mounts
Following an urgent online meeting of all 55 member nations, UEFA announced a blanket boycott of FIFA competitions for as long as the privatisation push continues. "UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions," the body declared, adding that "some things are simply too important to sell."
"The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale," UEFA said, describing Infantino's plan as "not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA's duty as the custodian of world football."
The timing of the threatened boycott carries immediate consequences. The next scheduled FIFA tournament is the Women's Under-20 World Cup, hosted by Poland from 5 September — just weeks away. The four British football federations also represent FIFA's only formal bidder to host the 2035 Women's World Cup, with that decision due on 23 November.
CONCACAF, the confederation covering North America, Central America and the Caribbean, followed with its own rejection of the plan on the same day as UEFA's vote. In a statement, its 41 member associations cited "deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies." CONCACAF also questioned the justification for outside investment "following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history."
Senior advisor resigns, UK political pressure builds
The backlash extended beyond football's governing structures when Carlos Cordeiro resigned with immediate effect from his role as a senior advisor to Infantino. Appointed in 2021, Cordeiro — a former banker and ex-US Soccer Federation vice president — said FIFA was "mortgaging football's future without any compelling justification."
"It is a bad deal for FIFA's Member Associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game," Cordeiro said in a statement, adding that he had no involvement in the proposal and opposed it "unequivocally."
Political pressure also emerged from the United Kingdom, where a senior government figure labelled Infantino's plan "outrageous" and said it demonstrated that the FIFA president was "the wrong man to lead the organisation." Calls for his resignation have begun circulating publicly, with the hashtag #InfantinOUT gaining traction among football supporters online.
FIFA pushes back — and Infantino's future comes into question
Despite the mounting opposition, FIFA issued a statement insisting it would press ahead with putting the proposal to a vote of its 211 member associations. "Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain," the body said, pushing back against what it called "incorrect media reports" that it claimed had disrupted a planned consultation process. FIFA argued that each member association had the right to review and vote on the proposal independently.
The controversy has raised serious questions about Infantino's previously secure grip on power. A presidential election among FIFA's 211 members is scheduled for March in Rabat, Morocco, with a candidate nomination deadline of 18 November. Just days ago — following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup — Infantino had appeared on course for an uncontested fourth term in office through 2031. That assumption now looks far less certain.
Reports indicate Infantino has privately eyed a lucrative executive role within the FFE commercial spinoff beyond his FIFA presidency in 2031, a prospect that has added further fuel to critics' concerns about his motives. Football Australia, meanwhile, has indicated it is seeking more time to properly consider the proposal before any vote is taken.
