Uefa has accused Fifa of “using our sport to enrich themselves and their friends†after it emerged that Fifa's 211 member associations have been given a deadline of 19 September to decide whether to apply for an initial payment of $20m (£15m) from the proceeds of its plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
“Today we have learned of Fifa's deadline to associations to support their proposals or have the one-off payout offer withdrawn. This says everything you need to know about this plan,†said European football's governing body in a statement.
“But having held discussions with many stakeholders across the game, Uefa knows there is significant and growing opposition to Fifa's scheme. Fifa cannot continue to use our sport to enrich themselves and their friends. We can grow the game correctly. It's time to prioritise associations, clubs, leagues, players and fans.â€
Fifa on Tuesday announced plans to sell the commercial rights to its tournaments, including the World Cup, to private investors, sparking widespread condemnation across the game. In a statement released on Wednesday morning, the Football Association said it was yet to see any details of the controversial proposals, and expressed grave concerns over Fifa'a governance.
The FA chair, Debbie Hewitt, is one of eight Fifa vice-presidents and watched many World Cup matches alongside the president, Gianni Infantino, yet appears to have been shut out of any discussions over plans that are at an advanced stage.
The FA's intervention is significant as it is the first time the governing body has criticised Fifa under Infantino, having stayed quiet throughout the Folarin Balalogun affair during the World Cup and endorsed the award of the 2034 tournament to Saudi Arabia.
The FA is understood to have held talks with Uefa and other European associations, who are determined to kill the plan, with all options, including a boycott of Fifa tournaments and a potential breakaway, thought to be on the table.
“We were completely unaware of this proposal and have no substantive details, including what the proposition actually is, and what conditions are attached,†said the FA in a statement. “Based on the limited information, we are deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance to get to this point, and the apparent substance and principles involved. When the proposal is shared in the full and transparent way now promised by Fifa, we will make our views clear, and comment further.â€
The FA's statement followed a similarly strong release from Concacaf, which is particularly significant given that the North, Central American and Caribbean confederation has just delivered the most lucrative World Cup in history for Fifa, which produced revenues of $15bn.
The Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani, was instrumental in winning the joint US, Mexican and Canadian bid for 2026, but was also kept in the dark over Fifa's plans.
“Concacaf was only made aware of this matter through media reports and, subsequently, via a media release,†Concacaf said in a statement released to the Guardian. “We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process.
“We share the disappointment of many within our region and the game that this level of detail has been designed and shared publicly before any discussion with the relevant governance bodies and stakeholders has taken place.
“As leaders within football, we are the custodians of the game. Collectively, Fifa, the confederations and every member association have a responsibility to always act in the best interests of the sport. Every decision we make must be guided by good governance, robust processes and long-term stewardship.
“This is the framework within which Concacaf operates. We trust that all within the Fifa family will act in the same manner.â€
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Fifa's work with the US bank JP Morgan to set up a new company called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would be partially sold off to “raise up to $4.2bn†to fund global football development projects later this year, has left other stakeholders stunned and reignited divisions within the world game.
Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation were already bracing themselves to fight Fifa's plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament, and there are fears that inviting private investors will make further expansion inevitable, as well as leading to pressure to stage the World Cup more regularly given its huge commercial value.
Uefa accused Fifa of attempting to sell football's soul and will hold emergency talks on Thursday to plan a coordinated response that could involve legal action.
“This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross,†it said. “Uefa takes it extremely seriously. So should every national football association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game.
“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not Fifa's to sell.â€
Hans-Joachim Watzke, the vice-president of the German FA, who is also president of the Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and a vice-president of Uefa's executive committee, told his country's Kicker magazine: “Many in European football see Fifa's plans as an outright attack on football. I share this view. A line has been crossed here.
“There is broad agreement on this among the member associations, as several conversations I've had with [Uefa president] Aleksander Ceferin and other colleagues in recent days have shown me.â€
Elite clubs also expressed disquiet. The European Football Clubs organisation said in a statement: “As an institution that represents over 850 football clubs – whose member clubs, their players and communities are fundamental participants in football worldwide, not least in Fifa's competitions including all the international club competitions – it would be wholly appropriate for EFC to be fully consulted on a proposal of such magnitude. EFC learned about this proposal in the same way as most global football stakeholders – without warning and through the media.â€
Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, joined critics of the plan on Tuesday night, saying on social media that the sport does not belong to investors. “The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone's to sell,†Burnham wrote on X. “Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out.â€
