FIFA speaks out on billion-dollar plan and denies selling world football By Thiago Lemos
3 min read
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FIFA issued a statement on 31 July 2026 to refute criticism relating to the proposal to establish the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). This new company would concentrate commercial operations and the organization of its main competitions. The highest football entity assured that “no one is selling football” and stated that it does not intend to give up control of its tournaments or change its governance.
The publication of the note occurred after the repercussion of the proposal presented this week, which describes the creation of a FIFA subsidiary. She would be responsible for managing commercial assets, such as the World Cup, the Club World Cup and other disputes. The plan includes selling a minority portion of the new company to private investors, a model that often raises questions about whether sports organizations maintain full control.
FIFA declared that the consultation process with the 211 national associations was compromised by “incorrect information published in the press”. The entity informed that it will restart discussions so that each federation can analyze the proposal based on the facts, before voting takes place.
“No one is selling football. This is not something that FIFA would consider”, declared the entity in the official statement.
FIFA also emphasized that no organization can speak on behalf of all member federations. The entity defended the right of each association to analyze, approve, reject or suggest changes to the proposal, classifying this procedure as a democratic principle of the organization.
The proposed structure and defense of the entity
In the statement, FIFA reinforced that FIFA Forward Enterprise would be a subsidiary wholly controlled by the organization itself. If approved, the new company would take over the commercial and operational activities linked to the holding of events organized by the entity, maintaining permanent control with FIFA.
According to the entity, the resources generated by this new structure would be distributed among the 211 national associations, enabling greater investments in the development of football in each country.
FIFA also informed that, according to the current proposal, each federation would receive US$20 million in resources from the FIFA Forward program between 2027 and 2030, regardless of their position during the discussion process.
Furthermore, the entity presented the FIFA Fast Forward program, which provides for an extraordinary additional contribution of US$20 million per association. Participation would be voluntary and financing would come from external investors, without any transfer of control from FIFA or changes to its governance, according to the organization.
Approval process and next steps
FIFA reiterated that the creation of the FIFA Forward Enterprise will only happen if the majority of the 211 national associations approve the proposal. Otherwise, the entity’s business operations will remain exactly as they currently are.
The organization also highlighted that all points presented remain open to discussion throughout the consultation process. Federations will be able to approve, reject or propose changes to any part of the project before the final vote.
Investor Proposal Details
The creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise was announced this week as part of a plan to reorganize the commercial exploitation of FIFA’s main competitions. The entity’s expectation is to sell a minority stake in the new company, raising around US$4.2 billion. The assessment presented by FIFA estimates the value of the FFE at approximately US$20 billion. According to the entity, the resources raised would make it possible to significantly expand investments destined for national associations and increase revenue obtained from broadcasting rights and sponsorships, preserving the organization’s control over its assets and competitions.
