FIFA is planning a commercial subsidiary with external investors

Zurich – 29 July 2026: World football federation FIFA is planning a commercial subsidiary in which it intends to consolidate essential parts of its marketing and event organisation activities. FIFA Forward Enterprise is expected to be open to external financiers and, according to the federation, raise up to 4.2 billion US dollars. Only minority stakes that do not confer controlling influence are to be offered.

FIFA estimates the initial equity value of the new entity at 20 billion dollars. Media rights, sponsorships, ticket sales, licensing activities and the operational organisation of tournaments are to be bundled, among other things. According to available reports, this mainly concerns the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup. Sporting sovereignty, regulatory decisions and responsibility for the international match calendar are to remain with the federation.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino justifies the project with the aim of making more money available for the development of football. Subject to the approval of the 211 member associations, the world federation is projecting up to 20 million dollars for each association in the 2027 to 2030 cycle. Previously, eight million dollars had been planned. In subsequent four-year periods, payments could gradually rise to 22 and 24 million dollars respectively.

According to FIFA, all net proceeds from the subsidiary are to flow back into world football. However, the project still requires the necessary resolutions from the FIFA Council and the member associations. It is not yet known under what conditions the stakes are to be sold or what decision-making participation rights potential investors would receive. The company’s valuation will also have to prove valid as the process continues.

Investment firm Thrive Eternal is named as a possible lead investor in a group of investors. J.P. Morgan is assisting FIFA in structuring the project. Reports of a subsequent operational role for Infantino in the company originate from the British newspaper The Times. The federation’s official statement does not confirm such an executive role.

At the European football union UEFA, the plan met with immediate resistance. The organisation criticised the possible sale of economic interests in the World Cups and called for transparency regarding the financial beneficiaries. The objection concerns the structure of the world federation: FIFA is indirectly owned by its national member associations, while private financiers would in future participate in the increase in value of its most important competition rights.

For the member associations, the model combines higher development payments with a far-reaching institutional decision. They would have to approve a structure that permanently integrates private capital into the business of the main FIFA tournaments without formally transferring control of the world federation to investors.