FIFA has softened its stance on its ambitious FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project after strong reactions from federations and continental confederations. However, the world football body has not officially withdrawn the initiative, clarifying that it will not be implemented without the approval of member associations.
The debate began on July 28, when the plan to create the “FIFA Forward Enterprise,” a commercial entity with an estimated value of about $20 billion, was made public. The project envisaged that private investors, including the firm of Joshua Kushner, Jared Kushner’s brother, would buy a minority stake of 20–21% of the commercial rights to the World Cup and the Club World Cup.
The proposal has met with strong opposition, with UEFA leading the strongest reaction. On 30 July, the 55 member associations of the European confederation announced an indefinite boycott of all FIFA competitions. Among them are Spain and Portugal, two of the host countries of the 2030 World Cup. Similar concerns were expressed by the CONCACAF and AFC confederations, which criticized the lack of consultation and the short deadline, until 19 September, to decide on a project with a major impact on world football.
The pressure on FIFA also increased after the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, one of president Gianni Infantino's closest advisors, who left in protest.
In response, FIFA issued an official statement on July 31, stressing that its commercial activities would remain unchanged and that the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” would not be created without the approval of all 211 member associations. The institution also rejected claims that it was seeking to “sell football,” accusing some media outlets of inaccurate reporting on the project.
Although this stance is seen as a partial retreat in the face of pressure from the federations, FIFA has not definitively abandoned the initiative. The consultation process continues, while the final decision is expected to be taken in the vote scheduled for September.
