FIFA Defends WC Plan: 'Nobody Is Selling Football' FIFA's proposal to privatize its commercial operations and sell stakes in the World Cup has sparked a firestorm of criticism from international soccer.
At the heart of this controversy lies a fundamental question: can the beautiful game be bought and sold like any other commodity?
Behind the scenes, FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to establish the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) – a $20 billion subsidiary that would give private investors a 20% stake in the organization's commercial operations – has been quietly cooking for months.