Dutch FA speaks out against FIFA's plan to sell off World Cup

The KNVB has joined a growing chorus of disapproval from European football's heavyweights regarding FIFA's attempt to privatise its most prestigious assets. Under the drafted proposal, a new $20 billion subsidiary would be established to manage the commercial rights of the World Cup and the renovated Club World Cup, with 20 per cent of the company being offloaded to private equity firms.

This move has drawn sharp criticism from the Netherlands and beyond, as governing bodies digest the implications of shifting the control of international football toward outside investors. The Dutch stance mirrors that of the English FA, which recently released a statement claiming they were "completely unaware of this proposal" and expressed deep concerns regarding the apparent lack of transparency and proper governance in the decision-making process.

The KNVB has expressed serious concerns regarding FIFA's proposal to sell shares in the World Cup, describing the potential move as a "very worrying development" for the future of the global game. In a statement to NU.nl, the Dutch governing body warned: "Based on what has now been released, we consider this a very worrying development for international football."

The association emphasized that it will hold off on taking a definitive stance until full details are formally presented. "As soon as the official elaboration of this plan is available, we will jointly carefully study and discuss the proposal," the KNVB stated, underlining its priorities moving forward. "For us, the interests of football, good governance, and transparency must always be the guiding principles."

To secure support for the project, Infantino has dangled a massive carrot in front of FIFA's 211 member associations. The president has promised that a $40m incentive will be available to each federation if they approve the commercial overhaul by a strict deadline of September 19. If the plan is rejected, federations will only receive a much smaller share of a $2.7 billion development fund.

Infantino remains adamant that this is the only way to modernise the game's finances, stating: "It is my duty and responsibility as FIFA president to present such game-changing opportunities to you, our members. Should you wish to proceed, this $10billion package will become available as of January 1, 2027, ushering in the next phase of our journey together. Should you wish to retain the status quo and reject this proposal, we still have our planned expansion of the Forward programme of $2.7billion as previously presented."

The controversy is further fueled by the identity of the primary investors involved in the deal. The proposal is reportedly backed by Thrive Capital, a firm founded by Joshua Kushner. Given the firm's high-profile political connections in the United States, several member associations have raised eyebrows regarding the long-term geopolitical and commercial influence this could have on the world’s most-watched sporting event.

FIFA’s leadership is pushing for a quick resolution, but the backlash from UEFA suggests that a legal or political battle is on the horizon. European officials have questioned the ethical basis of selling off chunks of the World Cup to private equity, arguing that the soul of international football should not be for sale to the highest bidder, regardless of the financial rewards being offered to smaller nations. To reinforce this position, UEFA is preparing to convene an urgent digital meeting with all 55 member associations - including the KNVB - to establish a unified European response, though a date for the virtual summit has yet to be finalized.