• News
• Soccer

FIFA Backs Off Plans to Sell to Private Companies

FIFA’s private investment plans have been shelved, for now. The soccer giant had planned to sell minority stakes in a $20 billion subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to handle commercial responsibilities such as sponsorships, ticketing, and, most importantly, the World Cup. FIFA scrapped the plans after multiple football unions, including UEFA and Concacaf, threatened to boycott FIFA events.

FIFA’s Plan to Sell to Private Investors

The hype from a successful 2026 World Cup quickly faded when FIFA announced plans to sell a minority stake to private investors. FIFA’s plans would have created a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, with a $20 billion valuation.

Then, after going public, FIFA would have sold a minority stake worth $4.2 billion to the investment firm Thrive Eternal, which is led by Joshua Kushner. The firm has already bought stakes in sports franchises, including the MLB’s San Francisco Giants.

On paper, the deal would have created funding for multiple commercial ventures, such as the World Cup. However, the plans would have required approval from FIFA’s 211 national football governing bodies.

The plan was heavily supported by FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino. However, after the plans fell through, the unpopular Infantino drew even more criticism from soccer fans worldwide.

Why FIFA Ended Its Investment Plans

FIFA’s plans to sell minority stakes to private investors fell through because of the pushback from its member nations. Before the plans could go to an official vote, many major conferences threatened to boycott FIFA over the proposed investment plans.

The opposition was led by UEFA, but many other major associations joined the opposition to the private investment plan, such as Concacaf and AFC.

Is Infantino on the Hot Seat?

After the plans fell through, critics continued to pile on Infantino. The FIFA president was already in the doghouse for his politics, and the controversial investment plan only put more heat on Infantino.

Support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino is slipping after his $4.2 billion private equity proposal was scrapped, with several football associations withdrawing backing for his re-election https://t.co/xmuATiuhF6 pic.twitter.com/ZpOQNYrU0U

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 4, 2026

Infantino is currently up for re-election as FIFA president.

The proposed private investment plan could cost Infantino any chance he had at being elected to another term. After the plans fell through, many national associations, such as Sweden and the English FA, withdrew their support for Infantino’s re-election. High-ranking officials in FIFA, such as COO Kevin Lamour, have also started distancing themselves from Infantino.

Infantino’s critics have until November to find a suitable alternative to nominate for FIFA president. The next FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March 18th, 2027.