FIFA’s $20B investment play draws fire from UEFA as Infantino sets one-day deadline

FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants to carve out a $20 billion commercial entity to manage the rights for the men’s and women’s World Cups, and he’s given member associations roughly 24 hours to weigh in. The proposal, confirmed on July 28, 2026, asked for feedback by July 29. That’s not a consultation. That’s an ultimatum with a suggestion box. The plan, called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), would sell a 20-21% minority stake to long-term private investors, targeting up to $4.2 billion in equity raises. The total funding from the initiative could reach $10 billion, with each of FIFA’s 211 member associations potentially receiving one-off payments of up to $20 million. What the FFE actually looks like Think of it as FIFA spinning off its crown jewels into a separate commercial vehicle, then inviting private equity to buy a seat at the table. JP Morgan is advising on the deal, with Thrive Eternal reportedly among the potential lead investors. The FFE would manage commercial rights for the men’s World Cup, the women’s World Cup, and the Club World Cup. This isn’t his first attempt. It marks Infantino’s second major push for private investment in FIFA since 2018, when a similar prop...