FRI JULY 31 2026-theGBJournal| FIFA on Friday sought to calm growing concerns over its proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), insisting the initiative is not an attempt to “sell football” after UEFA and other stakeholders voiced strong opposition over its potential impact on the governance and commercial future of the global game.
The governing body said recent media reports had misrepresented the proposal, disrupting what it described as an open consultation process with its 211 member associations.
“We have heard the feedback provided by the respective confederations… and respect the concerns aired publicly,” FIFA said in a statement.
“Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain.”
The clarification follows UEFA’s rejection of the proposal on Thursday, amid wider concerns that the new commercial structure could centralise control over football’s commercial rights and alter the balance of power in the sport.
FIFA said the proposed enterprise was designed solely to give national football associations greater opportunities to benefit from the commercial potential of the sport in their respective countries without compromising FIFA’s governance or the integrity of football.
The world football body stressed that every member association should be allowed to evaluate the proposal on its merits and participate in the decision-making process.
“No single entity can claim to represent all 211 member associations around the world,” FIFA said, adding that it would continue consultations to ensure each association could vote “based on facts” rather than media speculation.
These are the democratic principles of FIFA.
As per the proposal:
-FFE would move FIFA’s commercial and operational event delivery activities into a subsidiary organisation that FIFA would own and control permanently.
-The commercial value created would be shared among all 211 MAs, enabling each MA to make meaningful investments in football in their respective countries.
-Under the proposal, each MA would receive USD 20 million of FIFA Forward Development funding over the next four years (2027-2030), irrespective of its individual support.
-This increased funding would come from the additional revenues generated by FFE through the more effective management of FIFA’s commercial operations, for the benefit of all MAs.
FIFA said the FIFA Fast Forward Programme is a one-off development funding of an additional USD 20 million per MA – participation would be fully voluntary for all MAs should the FFE proposal proceed – and would be financed by external investment without ceding control or altering FIFA’s governance structure in any way.
”Without the support of the majority of MAs, FIFA’s commercial activities would remain unchanged. FFE would not be established.
These components represent the starting point of the consultation process and are open for discussion as part of that process. This can include approval, rejection or amendment in their entirety or individually.
These principles underpin the FFE proposal: unprecedented development funding, truly global ownership of the commercial opportunities of our sport, and full self-determination through a democratic process for all MAs.”
The proposal has sparked debate across world football, with critics warning it could reshape the commercial landscape of the game, while FIFA maintains it is intended to expand financial opportunities for national associations rather than privatise the sport.
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