FIFA offers $40m to attract nations to back World Cup investment plan

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has written to all member associations offering up to $40 million if they back a controversial plan to sell minority stakes in the organization's major competitions, including the World Cup.

Under a five-page letter sent to federations, associations that approve the proposal by September 19 will receive an initial $20 million starting January 1, 2027, with an additional $20 million to follow.

FIFA wants to create a new commercial subsidiary (FIFA Forward Enterprise) to manage its flagship tournaments and rights, allowing private external investors to buy minority, non-controlling stakes to raise billions for global football development.

Infantino has framed the plan as a "democratization of football", arguing that injecting billions of dollars from private equity will allow FIFA to massively scale development funding for smaller federations worldwide.

By dangling an immediate, high-stakes financial payout, Infantino is trying to lock in grassroots political backing from FIFA's 211 member nations before regional confederations can successfully mobilize a block against it.

As reported by BBC Sports, the proposal is part of FIFA President Gianni Infantino's broader push to aggressively commercialize global football and tap into private equity.

It has triggered fierce criticism from major confederations, including UEFA—which stated that "the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade" alongside deep concerns from the English FA and other regional bodies over a lack of transparency, consultation, and proper governance.