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UEFA and FIFA have escalated their conflict after the European football’s governing body issued a new scathing condemnation on Wednesday of plans to sell a stake in the World Cup tournament, one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
“FIFA cannot continue to use our sport to enrich themselves and their friends,” UEFA said, accusing FIFA President Gianni Infantino of pressuring national football associations into backing the proposal by setting a deadline for their support.
FIFA announced on Tuesday that it plans to create a $20 billion subsidiary to manage the World Cup and other tournaments, offering up to a 20% stake to external investors.
A letter sent to football associations worldwide, seen by British media, indicates that Infantino has given members until 19 September to support the proposal, with a $40 million (around €35.1 million) financial incentive to join the venture early.
UEFA said the deadline “says everything” about the proposal and claimed opposition to the plan is growing.
In a statement released on Tuesday, UEFA accused FIFA of putting the game’s “soul” up for sale. According to media reports, European football’s governing body will hold an emergency virtual meeting on Thursday to decide its next move.
Infantino’s proposal involves New York-based JPMorgan, while potential investors include Thrive Eternal, founded by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared is married to Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump.
FIFA insists long-term investors would be carefully vetted and would acquire only minority, non-controlling stakes, with all net proceeds reinvested in football worldwide.
The proposal must now be approved by FIFA’s 211 member associations. It requires the backing of a majority of members, as well as the FIFA Council, the governing body’s 37-member decision-making panel chaired by Infantino.
The plan has already triggered a backlash across Europe, with several football associations accusing Infantino of blurring the lines between football, politics and private business.
“We were completely unaware of this proposal and have no substantive details,” the English Football Association, the world’s oldest national football association, said on Wednesday.
EU Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef backed UEFA, warning that the “relentless commercialisation of football has become corrosive” in separate comments, while the newly appointed UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the World Cup “is not a product” for sale.