- FIFA’s World Cup Investment Plan Faces Fresh Setback as Asian Football Confederation Demands Greater Transparency
FIFA’s controversial proposal to open part of the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup to private investors has suffered another significant setback after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) strongly criticised the process behind the plan and called for more time before any decision is made.
The latest opposition represents a major challenge for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, whose ambitious proposal to establish a new commercial subsidiary for the World Cup is already facing resistance from several of football’s most influential stakeholders.
In a strongly worded letter sent to its 47 member associations, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa expressed disappointment that Asia’s governing body was not consulted before FIFA publicly unveiled the proposal.
According to Sheikh Salman, a project with such far-reaching consequences for world football should have involved extensive discussions with continental confederations from the outset.
He argued that decisions affecting the future commercial structure of the sport require careful legal, financial and governance reviews rather than being rushed through under tight deadlines.
The AFC also warned that the proposal risks weakening the principles of cooperation, solidarity and transparency that have traditionally guided football’s global administration.
FIFA recently announced plans to establish a new commercial entity valued at approximately $20 billion to oversee the organisation’s major competitions, including the FIFA World Cup. Under the proposal, up to a fifth of the new company would be sold to private investors to generate fresh capital for football development projects around the world.
To encourage support, FIFA has proposed a development package worth $10 billion, promising each of its 211 member associations up to $40 million if they approve the proposal before the September 19 deadline.
Associations that reject the plan would instead receive funding under FIFA’s existing development programme, which offers considerably lower financial support.
While FIFA argues that the initiative will increase investment in football infrastructure and development worldwide, critics believe the proposal represents a fundamental shift in the governance of the game’s most prestigious competition.
The AFC is now the latest continental body to publicly question both the process and the speed with which FIFA is seeking approval.
Sheikh Salman insisted that any proposal of this magnitude requires the backing of all six continental confederations if it is to succeed and warned that such consensus does not currently exist.
His comments echo concerns previously raised by UEFA, which has already rejected the proposal, and CONCACAF, the governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean, which also criticised FIFA over the lack of prior consultation.
The growing resistance has exposed widening divisions within international football at a time when FIFA hopes to secure overwhelming support for one of the most significant commercial reforms in its history.
Elsewhere, football’s player representatives have also entered the debate.
Global players’ union FIFPRO has warned that introducing private investment into competitions such as the FIFA World Cup could permanently alter the priorities surrounding international football.
Professional Footballers Australia joined those concerns on Thursday, accusing FIFA of failing to adequately involve players and supporters in discussions over a proposal that could reshape the future of the sport.
The organisation argued that the individuals who create the value of football’s biggest tournaments deserve a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their future, adding that transparency and accountability should remain central to the governance of the global game.
The African football community is also preparing to examine the proposal, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) expected to discuss the matter at an executive committee meeting next week. The Oceania Football Confederation has also scheduled talks, while South America’s CONMEBOL has yet to announce its official position.
Despite the mounting criticism, FIFA maintains that member associations will ultimately decide the proposal through a democratic voting process before it is submitted to the FIFA Council for final approval.
However, as opposition continues to spread across football’s continental bodies, securing broad consensus is becoming an increasingly difficult task.
What was initially presented as an ambitious financial strategy to strengthen football development worldwide has now evolved into one of the most fiercely debated governance issues in modern football, with many stakeholders insisting that the future of the FIFA World Cup cannot be determined without broader consultation and greater transparency.
