FIFA hits back as UEFA plan to boycott World Cup over Gianni Infantino plan

FIFA insists ‘nobody is selling football’ and will carry on with consultations over introducing private investment into the World Cup.

On Thursday, UEFA’s 55 member nations voted unanimously to boycott all FIFA tournaments if Gianni Infantino’s controversial plans to sell stakes in the World Cup go ahead.

But in a statement released in the early hours of Friday morning, FIFA blamed ‘incorrect media reports’ for ‘disrupting’ the consultation process.

FIFA said: ‘We have heard the feedback provided by the respective confederations in relation to the proposed establishment of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and would like to address the issues that have surfaced since the initial media reporting on Tuesday.

‘We respect the feedback and concern aired in public and reaffirm our commitment to an open and democratic consultation.

⁠’Our planned consultation process was disrupted by incorrect media reports. We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each MA has the ability to express its vote based on facts.

The brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law is a potential investor in FIFA’s new plan (Getty)

‘FFE has been proposed solely to ensure that all FIFA Member Associations (MAs) have the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of the commercial opportunity of football in their respective countries, and that this does not come at the cost of either the spirit or the governance of FIFA or football itself.

‘Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain.’

FIFA wants to create a company named FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to oversee the commercial side of the World Cup and its other tournaments, with a stake of up to 20% offered to private investors.

Thrive Eternal, an investment fund run by Joshua Kushner-founded Thrive Capital, is expected to lead the proposed investor group, FIFA said. Joshua is the brother of Jared Kushner, who is the son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump.

FIFA’s 211 member associations, including the English Football Association, have been promised windfalls of up to $40 million (£30.1m) each if they agree to the proposal by the September 19 deadline.

UEFA’s nations, including Spain, have threatened to boycott future World Cup tournaments (AFP via Getty)

UEFA reaffirmed their opposition to the proposal on Thursday with the threat of a boycott if other member associations vote through the proposal in September.

‘We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors,’ its statement added.