FIFA President Gianni Infantino has set a deadline of September 19, 2026, for the organisation's 211 member federations to accept one-off offers of $US20 million (approximately $28.7 million AUD) as part of a $US20 billion project to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

The plan involves creating a FIFA subsidiary, 20% owned by private investors, which would manage FIFA's competitions and events including the World Cups and Club World Cups. This initiative is being bankrolled by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, who is US President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

Infantino described the scheme as a "singular and unique funding opportunity" in a letter explaining the rationale behind the subsidiary. This move follows previous controversial efforts by Infantino, such as the creation of a FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Donald Trump and a secretive $US25 billion private equity plan in 2018.

The scheme has faced significant opposition. International soccer organisations have criticized the $US20 billion subsidiary, and the European soccer body UEFA plans to convene an emergency online meeting of its 55 member federations to discuss the matter. UEFA stated there is "significant and growing opposition to FIFA's scheme."

The Kuala Lumpur-based Asian Football Confederation expressed disappointment that such a significant matter became public before its members had the chance to review and discuss it. Concerns have also been raised about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal.

This private equity plan is the latest ambitious project during Infantino's 11-year presidency, during which he has been perceived as acting increasingly without consulting major soccer stakeholders.

Sources