FIFA responds to UEFA's criticism: no one is selling football

FIFA have moved to clarify their proposed "FIFA Forward Enterprise" project, insisting they remain fully committed to open and democratic consultations with every member association. The governing body pointed the finger at inaccurate media reports for disrupting the planned consultation process.

Several continental confederations had come out strongly against the project. UEFA led the objections, pledging to boycott all FIFA tournaments if the proposal went ahead.

Responding to the concerns raised, FIFA said in an official statement: "We have listened to the observations and concerns expressed by the relevant continental confederations regarding the proposed establishment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, and we wish to address the issues that have arisen since the initial media reports last Tuesday."

On the consultations themselves, the statement continued: "We respect the observations and concerns that have been expressed publicly, and we reaffirm our commitment to conducting open and democratic consultations. The planned consultation process has been disrupted by inaccurate media reports, and we will proceed with this process to ensure that every member association is able to exercise its right to vote based on the facts."

Setting out the aim behind the proposal, FIFA explained: "The project has been proposed solely to ensure that all FIFA member associations have the opportunity to hold meaningful commercial ownership of football in their countries, and that this does not come at the expense of the spirit of football, its governance, or the governance of FIFA itself."

The rumours drew a flat denial. "No one is selling football," FIFA said. "This is something FIFA would never consider."

Democratic rights were the next port of call. "Everyone has the right to express their opposition and to request further clarification, but no single entity can claim to represent all 211 member associations around the world. Every member association must be given the opportunity to review the proposal and to have a say in shaping its own future, as these are the democratic principles of FIFA."

FIFA then ran through the financial and organisational detail. The "FIFA Forward Enterprise" project would transfer the commercial and organisational activities behind delivering FIFA events to a subsidiary company owned and managed permanently by FIFA. Any newly created commercial value would then be shared among all 211 member associations, letting each one invest tangibly in football at home.

Under the proposal, each member association would receive 20 million US dollars in funding from FIFA Forward for Development over the next four years (2027-2030), regardless of where it stands on the project. That increase would come from the additional revenue generated by the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" project through more effective management of FIFA's commercial operations for the benefit of all.

The FIFA Fast Forward programme got its own explanation. FIFA described it as exceptional one-off development funding of an additional 20 million US dollars per member association, with participation entirely optional should the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" proposal proceed. It would be funded through external investment without ceding control or altering FIFA's governance structure in any way. Without the backing of a majority of member associations, FIFA stressed, its commercial activities would stay exactly as they are and the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" project would never get off the ground.

These components mark the starting point for the consultation process and remain open for discussion. That may mean approval, rejection or amendment, either in full or item by item.

FIFA signed off by returning to the fundamentals: "The principles on which all components of the (FIFA Forward Enterprise) proposal are based are the provision of unprecedented development funding, genuine global ownership of the commercial opportunities of our sport, and the achievement of full self-determination through a democratic process for all member associations."