Recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino pushed for the establishment of a subsidiary, "FIFA Forward Enterprise," with the intention of introducing private investors and selling commercial equity in flagship events such as the World Cup. This unilateral action has drawn strong reactions and close attention from continental football federations and member associations worldwide. To date, the European, Asian, and CONCACAF federations have all expressed their opposition. The African and Oceania football federations will evaluate the proposal. CONMEBOL has not yet made a public statement.
UEFA: Hardline countermeasures, total boycott of the World Cup
UEFA and its 55 member associations have reached a consensus that, as long as FIFA's proposal to sell its stake in the World Cup continues, all UEFA-affiliated national teams will resolutely refuse to participate in any FIFA events. UEFA emphasized that the World Cup is a shared legacy of football and "must never become an investment commodity for private investors."
Asian Football Confederation (AFC): Expresses disappointment and criticizes FIFA's unilateral actions.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and its president, Salman, clearly stated that the AFC had not received any prior communication or consultation regarding the proposal and expressed great disappointment that the relevant business plan documents had entered the public domain ahead of time. They believe that this is a unilateral action by FIFA and seriously disregards the legitimate interests of continental football federations and member associations.
CONCACAF: 41 members unanimously opposed
CONCACAF, along with its 41 member associations, issued a statement explicitly opposing FIFA's "Advance Corporate" initiative. CONCACAF stated that it only learned of the initiative through media reports and expressed deep concern about FIFA's lack of due process and disregard for sound governance.
[Official statement: CONCACAF and 41 member countries oppose FIFA's "Advance Corporate" initiative]
Confederation of African Football (CAF): The Executive Committee will evaluate the proposal.
Faced with increasingly heated controversy, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has adopted a relatively cautious stance, announcing that its Executive Committee will hold a special meeting to conduct an in-depth internal evaluation of FIFA's proposal.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC): To be submitted for review at the Executive Committee meeting in August.
The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has also indicated its willingness to follow suit, confirming that it will conduct a detailed review of FIFA's commercialization proposal at its Executive Committee meeting in August.
CONMEBOL: No public comment yet.
As of now, CONMEBOL has not issued an official statement or responded to media requests for comment regarding FIFA's proposal.
