FIFA on Friday defended its proposed private equity venture tied to the World Cup, pushing back against growing criticism from across international soccer and insisting that the plan does not represent a sale of football’s most prestigious tournament.
The global soccer governing body blamed what it called "erroneous reporting in the media" for the public backlash surrounding its proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors.
"We respect the feedback and concern aired in public and reaffirm our commitment to an open and democratic consultation," FIFA said.
"Our planned consultation process was disrupted by incorrect media reports. We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each member association has the ability to express its vote based on facts."
FIFA appeared to soften its stance on establishing the private equity initiative, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), suggesting the project would not move forward if its 211 member associations fail to approve it.
"FIFA's commercial activities would remain unchanged. FFE would not be established. Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain," the statement read.
The response came after European soccer leaders agreed Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions in protest of president Gianni Infantino’s plan.
"UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions," the European soccer body said following an urgent online meeting involving its 55 member associations.
The next FIFA tournament scheduled in Europe is only weeks away, with the Women’s Under-20 World Cup set to begin in Poland on Sept. 5. The four British soccer federations also represent FIFA’s only bid to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup, with a decision expected on Nov. 23.
"Some things are simply too important to sell," UEFA said in a statement. "The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale."
The UEFA meeting was called in response to Infantino’s proposal to provide $20 million to each of FIFA’s 211 member associations, with the offer requiring approval by mid-September.
FIFA’s latest statement stressed that criticism and requests for clarification were legitimate but argued that no individual organization could claim to speak on behalf of all member associations.
"Everyone has the right to express their opposition and to seek further clarification, but no single entity can claim to represent all 211 MAs around the world," FIFA said.
