European football’s governing body, UEFA, launched a scathing attack on FIFA President Gianni Infantino, declaring that current FIFA leadership has lost the confidence and trust of the sport despite backing down from a controversial scheme to sell private equity stakes in the FIFA World Cup.
While FIFA officially scrapped its proposed $20 billion commercial spinoff—known internally as FIFA Forward Enterprise—following unanimous opposition across Europe, Asia, and North America, UEFA insisted the fight for governance and integrity is far from over.
The confrontation began when FIFA unveiled plans to spin off its lucrative commercial operations, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups, into a new private corporate entity valued at $20 billion.
Under the scheme, private investment funds were slated to acquire minority shares, while offering individual national associations up to $20 million annually in development funding.
UEFA reacted swiftly, issuing a fierce statement condemning Infantino over what it described as the commercialization of international football.
By Friday, the rebellion reached unprecedented levels as UEFA’s 55 member nations resolved to boycott all FIFA competitions, while senior FIFA staff leaked internal communications opposing the deal.
Early Saturday morning, Infantino officially capitulated, admitting the proposal had caused irreconcilable division.
“The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed,” Infantino said.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.”
Despite the development, UEFA said it welcomed the withdrawal of the proposal, but said Infantino had lost their and other football family members’ “confidence” with his “shabby, back-room, opaque deal”.
UEFA did not mince its words in holding Infantino to account for the debacle less than a fortnight after he basked in the afterglow of a highly successful World Cup — the first with 48 teams and hosted in three countries.
“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” read the statement.
UEFA said the 56-year-old Swiss had broken promises he made when he successfully first sought election in 2016 — namely to be “transparent” and that FIFA’s money was “your (the member associations) money” and “not the money of the FIFA President.”
“On both these promises, he has failed to deliver,” said UEFA.
“The shabby, back-room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through was anything but transparent.
“And with reserves standing at over $5bn, he has also failed to use associations’ money for the benefit of the game.”
