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There is well-documented tension between Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin (right) and Gianni Infantino - Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
The Football Association (FA) has condemned Fifa’s plan to sell the World Cup to private investors, and Uefa is ready to boycott the tournament as the backlash intensifies against Gianni Infantino.
Senior figures in the game say “we have to act fast” to torpedo the £15bn plan of Infantino, the Fifa president, which Uefa says is trading the game’s soul.
Various national governing bodies are poised to go public with concerns as talks intensify over a potential self-suspension from Fifa by Uefa members. It would mean European nations could withdraw from next summer’s Women’s World Cup, the 2029 Club World Cup and the 2030 men’s World Cup.
In a statement sent to Telegraph Sport, the FA 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.”
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Infantino is expected to be re-elected but may have taken one gamble too many with his latest World Cup plans - Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
On Wednesday, the second of Fifa’s six confederations came forward to condemn the plans. Concacaf, which represents countries in north and central America and the Caribbean, said they were “deeply concerned by the lack of due process.”
Like other bodies, Concacaf said it has been blindsided by the deal.
“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,” a statement added.
“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. Every decision we make must be guided by good governance, robust processes and long-term stewardship.”
Infantino’s ‘biggest risk’
European nations, including the Football Association (FA), will join a video call on Thursday, but lobbying is already under way behind the scenes to determine whether a boycott is realistic.
The 2021 Super League breakaway and 2020’s “Project Big Picture” plot were killed in a matter of days. “Uefa are seismic about walking,” one leading European football executive told Telegraph Sport. However, all 55 members of Uefa must agree to support a boycott.
The FA is among up to 200 nations to have written recently letters of support for Infantino’s candidacy for re-election next year. However, Infantino’s enemies say the president has taken his biggest risk with his base of support with his vision for further commercialising football’s greatest stage.
The plan, announced nine days after the World Cup finished, would result in a group of investors controlling the commercial interests of Fifa’s top men’s and women’s competitions.
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The 2026 World Cup was exanded to 48 teams for the first time - VCG/Getty Images
The furore gathered pace on Tuesday night after Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, expressed his dismay. The Everton supporter, who has campaigned before on several football issues, said: “Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine.”
Kushner to lead investor group
Politico reported that Infantino had recorded a video message setting out his proposals that will be sent to all 211 Fifa member associations, in a further attempt to lobby support.
But members have been warned to scrutinise the plans given they were cut out of initial talks.
“The project already has a name, a valuation, a bank advising it and a prospective lead investor. Yet the member associations are only now being asked for their support,” said Hervé Verhoosel, the former UN communications director and independent international affairs and strategic communications adviser.
“I spent nearly 20 years working with international institutions. One lesson stayed with me: consulting people after the main negotiations have taken place is not consultation. It is asking them to ratify what has already been prepared.”
Patrick Nally, a leading voice in sports marketing at the World Cup, says Fifa has taken a major risk. “History shows that when you tinker too much with the game’s cultural fabric, loyalty erodes,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
Thrive Capital – run by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner – will lead the proposed investor group. Sources played down suggested involvement by the Trump administration in the plans.
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Joshua Kushner, right, is expected to lead the proposed investor group through his Thrive Capital firm - Patrick McMullan/Getty Images
Infantino has been heavily criticised for cosying up to Trump in the lead-up to and during the 2026 World Cup, which culminated in the US president intervening to successfully have Folarin Balogun’s suspension overturned for the co-host’s last-16 match.
A biennial World Cup?
Saudi Arabia, who will host the 2034 World Cup, are highly likely to express interest in the company via its Public Investment Fund, and Qatar has maintained close ties to Infantino since winning the hosting rights to the 2022 World Cup.
JP Morgan, which was previously involved in the abandoned Super League plot, is Fifa’s financial adviser on the project.
Although there is no binding agreement on the plans, they increase the likelihood of an expanded World Cup or the tournament being held more regularly than every four years.
The move would also include the women’s World Cup and Club World Cup, which could both be played more frequently than the current four-year cycles.
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