Pinnick backs Infantino over 20% World Cup stake sale plan

Former Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick has thrown his support behind FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell a 20% commercial stake in the World Cup, insisting the move is designed to channel more money to national associations rather than damage the game.

The idea, unveiled by FIFA earlier this week as part of a wider plan to bring private investors into the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup and other tournaments, has triggered a sharp backlash, led by UEFA and backed by several major European national associations.

Some of Europe’s leading football federations have warned they could boycott FIFA competitions if the world governing body presses ahead with selling a share of World Cup commercial rights to outside investors.

But speaking on Arise TV’s ‘The Morning Show’, Pinnick argued the focus should be on ensuring transparency and oversight rather than rejecting the proposal outright, and claimed member associations could be significant beneficiaries if the project proceeds.

‘Main beneficiaries will be the member associations’

Pinnick, who served as NFF president and has been a member of the FIFA Council, said the plan amounts to a partial privatisation aimed at strengthening football’s financial base at national level.

He said Infantino had made it clear that, under the proposal, each member association could receive around $20m in direct support, in addition to money already available through existing FIFA programmes.

“He said clearly, once this is done, the MAs will receive $20 million. They have also got the FIFA Forward Programme. You can also access another $20 million. So if, for example, you have $40 million, trust me, you don’t need a government to run football,” Pinnick said.

“The world is evolving. As the world is evolving, you look at things. Gianni has said, ‘This is my proposal.’ Who would be the main beneficiary? The shareholders are the member football associationsNigeria FA, Niger FA, Ghana FA and South African FA. These are the main beneficiaries.”

Call for scrutiny of investors, not proposal

Pinnick urged critics to direct their energy towards assessing the integrity of any prospective investors and the mechanisms for supervising how funds are used, rather than portraying Infantino’s idea as inherently harmful.

“What people should be bothered about is the integrity of the funds, the integrity of the personnel, the people, the consortium, or, if you like, the company,” he said.

“Are these companies quoted on stock exchanges all over the world? These are things people should be bothered about. And the use of the funds. I know FIFA also has its control mechanisms. So to me, we shouldn’t just sit down. We should celebrate the huge success.”

Personal insight into Infantino’s approach

Pinnick stressed he has not seen the detailed documentation on the current proposal but drew on his past dealings with Infantino to argue that the FIFA president tends to back his plans with extensive consultation and financial modelling.

“First, I will say that I am not totally equipped to speak on this issue. I have not seen any mail to that effect,” he said.

“One thing I know is that Gianni does not just wake up and give a proposal. He consults extensively. Gianni is driven and very audacious. A lot of people in the football family do not like it.”

Pinnick recalled a conversation with Infantino during the Swiss-Italian’s campaign to become FIFA president as an example of his promises on funding being delivered once in office.

“When he was campaigning to be president of FIFA, he came to me in Rwanda. He requested to see me personally. I told him, ‘What do you want to see?’ And he said, ‘Please, Pinnick, give me just three minutes of your time.’

“I sat with him, and he told me, ‘Now you receive $200,000. Once I get elected, you will now start receiving $1.25 million.’ I said, ‘That is a big lie. Where do you want to get the money from?’

“He said, ‘We did it in UEFA. We turned UEFA around, and we can also do it in FIFA. I have seen my books and consulted.’

“When he got elected, he immediately started paying $1.25 million. For a cycle, each FA was getting about $6 million.”

Historical precedents and governance debates

Pinnick also pointed to previous commercial arrangements under past FIFA leadership as evidence that major structural financial changes are not new to world football.

“Joao Havelange brought out a proposal years ago; it passed. It was the International Sports and Leisure (ISL), which was inherited by Sepp Blatter, who was the general secretary and later the president. Today, the rest is history,” he said.

For Pinnick, Infantino is acting within his mandate by tabling a controversial plan for debate.

“Gianni is making a proposal. As president of FIFA or as a head of an organisation, you can bring out a proposal. It behoves you to accept it or not. Don’t call everything a controversy. He has a right to bring out a proposal,” he said.

The clash between FIFA and UEFA over private investment in World Cup rights is the latest flashpoint in an increasingly strained relationship between football’s global and European governing bodies, with Europe’s leading associations now weighing up how far they are prepared to go to oppose Infantino’s commercial vision.