The proposal and its fallout
Former FIFA vice‑president Jim Boyce has denounced the governing body’s plan to sell a 20 percent stake in a newly created entity that would control competitions, including the World Cup, describing the move as “ludicrous” and warning that it threatens the organization’s non‑profit mission.
The proposal, which aims to raise as much as $4.2 billion, was met with an immediate backlash from UEFA, which warned that it would consider boycotting FIFA events if the commercial shift proceeded, while CONCACAF echoed the concerns, accusing the federation of putting commercial interests ahead of the sport’s integrity.
Speaking to the press, Boyce argued that such a transaction contradicts FIFA’s statutory status and could erode the trust that fans have placed in the organization for decades, especially as the recent World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico already sparked complaints over exorbitant ticket prices.
European and North American response
The controversy deepened when Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to President Gianni Infantino, resigned, labeling the deal a “bad deal for football” and joining a growing list of critics within the federation.
Infantino, who is slated to face re‑election in March 2025 in Morocco, has found his leadership increasingly questioned, with both UEFA and CONCACAF expressing loss of confidence in his stewardship.
The dispute also spilled into the disciplinary arena when U.S. President Donald Trump intervened in the case of forward Folarin Balogun, prompting FIFA to suspend the automatic one‑match ban that had been imposed after a VAR‑related controversy.