The question of whether Gianni Infantino can sell off part of the World Cup to private equity has now morphed into a question of his own survival as FIFA’s president.
After 96 nations in total voiced their objection to Infantino’s proposal Thursday, with the 55 members of UEFA going as far as threatening to boycott the World Cup, the proposal itself seems dead in the water while the furor around Infantino is very much alive.
CONCACAF, the governing body representing North and Central American football associations as well as the Caribbean, released a statement Thursday afternoon saying all 41 of its members reject Infantino’s proposal, though it did not threaten a boycott.
“During a meeting, the membership expressed deep concern about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies,” CONCACAF’s statement read in part. “In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned.”
U.S. Soccer, a member of CONCACAF, tweeted that it “stands with CONCACAF and its members,” while refraining from further comment.
Infantino’s plan, revealed in a bombshell report by the Times of London earlier this week, would see a company named FIFA Forward Enterprise spun out of FIFA — which has nonprofit status in Switzerland — and sold to private equity. Infantino said in a letter to football associations that a decision must be made by Sept. 19, and that a $10 billion package would become available should they vote yes, as opposed to $2.7 billion if not.
The proposal has sparked incredible backlash from European nations in particular, who view it as an imposition of capitalism and corruption into the sport that will ultimately hurt fans and players while benefiting shareholders.
While a majority of FIFA’s 211 voting nations have yet to come out against the plan — UEFA plus CONCACAF is only equal to 90, as six CONCACAF countries are not FIFA members — the reaction combined with the boycott threat seems enough to sink the plan. A World Cup without any European nations in it appears untenable as a commercial and sporting matter alike.
The drama now is just as much in whether a credible alternative to Infantino, who was set to stand unopposed for reelection as FIFA’s president in 2031, might emerge.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi — a Qatari government official, the chairperson of beIN Media Group and president of European Football Clubs — is the name many believe could challenge Infantino. However, a spokesperson for Al-Khelaifi told Politico Wednesday night that he had “no interest in the FIFA role.”
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