Key facts
- FIFA plans to sell commercial rights for the World Cup to investors for $4.2 billion.
- U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the World Cup is not a product to be sold.
- European football associations, including UEFA, have expressed outrage over the proposal.
- Thrive Capital, associated with Jared Kushner, is reportedly involved in the deal.
- FIFA claims the investment will spur growth in grassroots and women's football.
U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has strongly criticized FIFA's proposal to sell commercial rights associated with the World Cup, a move that has also provoked a furious reaction from UEFA and other European football governing bodies.
FIFA intends to create an investment vehicle that would hold commercial rights for the tournament and sell a portion of it to investors for $4.2 billion. Burnham, writing on X, stated, 'The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell. Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out.' He emphasized that football belongs to the fans, not investors.
FIFA maintains that the plan will increase investment in grassroots and women's football. However, European football associations are reportedly outraged, particularly given their dissatisfaction with FIFA's management of the 2026 men's World Cup and their perception of FIFA President Gianni Infantino's closeness to U.S. President Donald Trump. Thrive Capital, a firm whose CEO Josh Kushner is Trump's son-in-law's brother, is reported to be heavily involved in the plan.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between FIFA and European football bodies regarding commercialization and governance of the sport.