Prime Minister Andy Burnham has strongly criticised Fifa’s proposal to establish a private company to manage its competitions, asserting that the World Cup “was never anyone’s to sell”.
The football governing body confirmed plans for Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new entity designed to consolidate the sale of commercial rights with the operational delivery of its tournaments.
Fifa said that Thrive Eternal, a company formed in April this year with connections to the extended family of US president Donald Trump, is slated to lead the proposed investor group for FFE. The move immediately sparked considerable backlash from fans and Uefa alike, with the European football body warning that the plan “crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross”.
Mr Burnham joined the chorus of disapproval, taking to X to declare: “The World Cup is not a product.”
He elaborated: “Let me say this very directly. Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine. The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell. Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out. Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will.”
Fifa, however, maintains that it will retain “exclusive authority” over football governance, competitions, the match calendar, and all regulatory and sporting decisions.
The organisation added that the creation of FFE would significantly boost football development funding for national associations, projecting an expenditure of more than 10 billion US dollars (£7.5 billion) on development over the next four years.
Thrive Eternal, expected to spearhead the proposal, is run by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Reports from The Times suggest that Fifa president Gianni Infantino could potentially assume the role of commissioner or chief executive of the new venture from 2031. Mr Infantino is currently seeking re-election for a four-year term as Fifa president next year.
In a statement, Uefa reiterated its grave concerns: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross. Uefa takes it extremely seriously. So should every national football association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not Fifa’s to sell.”
