David Gallop, who led Football Federation Australia until 2019 and previously served as CEO of the NRL, has publicly criticized FIFA president Gianni Infantino's controversial World Cup privatisation proposal.
The plan, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise, aimed to transfer the commercial rights of FIFA's major tournaments, including the World Cup, to a private company, with 20% of the stake sold to investors at a valuation of $20 billion. It has been reported that Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, was among the private equity figures involved.
Gallop described the proposal as "so far off passing the pub test that I think it's like he let off a stink bomb in the middle of the pub and people ran screaming, leaving half a schooner behind."
He emphasized that while privatisation is not inherently wrong, it requires an overwhelming strategic and financial justification. Gallop questioned the rationale behind the plan given FIFA's strong financial position, noting, "FIFA has $5 billion in cash now after the World Cup."
The proposal included one-off payments of $20 million to each of FIFA's 211 member federations, but Gallop argued that such a move raised more questions than answers about its necessity.
He further stated, "Anytime you sell anything, you need to have good, compelling reasons, but particularly so when it comes to something like the World Cup and ... sport in general," adding, "You need to be setting up your sport and the business of your sport for sustainability, not for a one-off sugar hit of capital."
Gallop's comments come amid a growing crisis over Infantino's leadership following the failed sell-off plan.
Loading comments.