England’s Football Association (FA) expressed strong concerns on Wednesday after FIFA confirmed plans to sell minority stakes in its flagship competitions, stating it was “deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance.”
On Tuesday, FIFA unveiled plans to establish a commercial subsidiary to manage its tournaments. Reports suggest the new entity could have ties to members of US President Donald Trump’s extended family.
The proposal sparked a sharp reaction from European football’s governing body, UEFA, which argued that the World Cup should not be treated as an “asset to trade.”
The FA also criticized the proposal, saying it had not been informed beforehand.
“We were completely unaware of this proposal and have no substantive details, including what the proposition actually is, and what conditions are attached,” the association said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Based on the limited information, we are deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance to get to this point, and the apparent substance and principles involved.
“When the proposal is shared in the full and transparent way now promised by FIFA, we will make our views clear, and comment further.”
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham also weighed in on X, saying that “football does not belong to investors.”
“The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell,” he added.
FIFA said the new company, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), would seek “long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests in FFE.”
The organization emphasized that it would maintain full ownership and decision-making authority over FFE, while retaining exclusive control of football governance, competitions, the international match calendar, and all regulatory and sporting matters.