Infantino under pressure as CONCACAF joins UEFA in rejecting FIFA commercial overhaul

CONCACAF has unanimously rejected Gianni Infantino’s plan to overhaul FIFA’s commercial structure, leaving the president in a direct confrontation with the two most powerful confederations in world football.

The North, Central American and Caribbean body confirmed after an extraordinary meeting on Thursday that all 41 of its member associations had voted against the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” proposal, which would spin off key FIFA competitions into a new commercial vehicle backed by private capital.

In a strongly worded statement, CONCACAF said “the future of football and its most valuable assets must remain in the hands of the football family”, voicing deep concern over what it described as a lack of proper legal process, an “artificial timeline” for decision-making and the absence of review or approval by FIFA’s own governance bodies.

The confederation also questioned why FIFA was seeking private investment so soon after staging the most profitable World Cup in the organisation’s history, asking for clarity on the need for outside capital.

Plan for new company at heart of row

Infantino’s proposal centres on creating a subsidiary that would take over the commercial management of the World Cup, the Club World Cup and other FIFA tournaments.

According to the plan, the company would raise an initial $4.2bn in capital and be valued at around $20bn. Between 20% and 30% of its shares would be sold as minority stakes to private investors, with FIFA insisting that no external party would hold a controlling interest.

FIFA has denied it intends to “sell the World Cup”, arguing instead that the structure is designed to secure long-term investment while keeping sporting control within the governing body.

The organisation has said that all net profits generated by the new entity would be reinvested in football development worldwide, and has promised a significant increase in funding for its 211 member associations.

Under the projections outlined by FIFA, member association funding would rise from $8m per association for the 2023-26 cycle to $20m for the 2027-30 period.

Call for transparency and use of reserves

CONCACAF ended its statement with a direct appeal for “greater transparency and good governance”, pressing FIFA to explain how it intends to use its substantial financial reserves before turning to private markets.

The confederation reminded Infantino that any such restructuring must follow the governance channels and procedures set out in FIFA’s statutes, signalling that it believes the current process falls short of those requirements.

Its opposition represents a significant political setback for the FIFA president, who had been expected to rely on the support of the American continents to counter European resistance to the plan.

UEFA threat escalates crisis

The move from CONCACAF came only hours after UEFA signalled that it was prepared to go as far as boycotting all FIFA competitions if the proposal to sell equity stakes linked to the World Cup went ahead.

UEFA’s stance dramatically raised the stakes around the project and underlined the depth of concern within European football over what it sees as the partial privatisation of FIFA’s flagship tournament.

With CONCACAF now formally aligning itself with UEFA, Infantino faces a serious challenge to his authority and to the future of his commercial vision for FIFA.

The president, who has made expanding tournaments and boosting revenues central pillars of his leadership, now finds himself having lost a strategic ally in a dispute that could shape who ultimately controls the commercial destiny of the world’s most popular sport.