On Tuesday, July 28th, 2026, FIFA revealed plans to establish a new commercial subsidiary named the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), valued at $20 billion (approximately €17.5 billion). The organization intends to sell non-controlling minority stakes to carefully selected long-term investors, aiming to raise up to $4.2 billion within the year.

FIFA called on its 211 member federations to approve the plan, promising they "would benefit immediately from increased funding." The initiative, dubbed the FIFA Fast Forward Programme (FFFP), is designed to invest heavily in even the smallest or most remote parts of the football world, areas often overlooked.

The move follows the recent World Cup primarily hosted in the United States and includes potential investors and advisors from the US. FIFA highlighted that Thrive Eternal, a permanent capital holding company founded this year by Joshua Kushner—brother of Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior negotiator—is expected to lead the investor group for FFE.

Greg Maffei, CEO of BANN Ventures and former CEO of Liberty Media during its acquisition and ownership of Formula 1, has been a key commercial advisor and will continue to be involved in establishing FFE.

FIFA emphasized that all net benefits from FFE will be reinvested back into football worldwide.

However, the European football federation UEFA sharply criticized the plan, stating it "crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross." The announcement also comes amid scrutiny of FIFA President Gianni Infantino's close ties with US President Donald Trump, which had already drawn criticism prior to the announcement.

Sources