The world governing body said erroneous media reporting had disrupted its planned consultation and stressed that the proposal is not a sale of football or a loss of control.
Key Points from FIFA’s Statement
FIFA stated that FFE has been proposed solely to give member associations meaningful ownership of commercial opportunities in their countries “without coming 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.”
The organisation emphasised that no single entity can claim to speak for all 211 member associations and that each should be allowed to review the proposal and vote based on facts.
How the Proposal Would Work
According to FIFA:
- FFE would transfer FIFA’s commercial and operational event-delivery activities into a subsidiary that FIFA would own and control permanently.
- Additional commercial value generated would be shared among all member associations.
- Each association would receive USD 20 million in FIFA Forward Development funding over the 2027–2030 cycle, regardless of individual support for the plan.
- A separate, voluntary FIFA Fast Forward Programme would offer a further one-off USD 20 million per association, financed by external investment without FIFA ceding control or changing its governance structure.
- Without majority support from member associations, FIFA’s commercial activities would remain unchanged and FFE would not be established.
FIFA described these elements as the starting point of consultation and said they remain open to approval, rejection or amendment.
Context of the Backlash
The clarification comes after strong opposition, particularly from European associations and UEFA, who have raised concerns about the involvement of private investors and potential risks to the governance of the game. Some European nations have discussed possible boycott measures in response to the original reports.
FIFA said it respects the feedback received and will continue the consultation process so that every member association can express its position on the basis of accurate information.
The governing body framed the proposal as delivering unprecedented development funding, global ownership of commercial opportunities, and full self-determination through a democratic process.