FIFA has just responded to public criticism, stating that there is no plan to sell the football industry, and FIFA will never consider such a proposal. The governing body said that inaccurate media reports have disrupted the established consultation process.

FIFA acknowledges and respects the opinions and concerns publicly expressed by various parties, and once again reaffirmed its commitment to conducting an open and democratic consultation process.

According to FIFA, misleading media reports have interfered with the established consultation procedure. FIFA has received feedback from confederations across all continents regarding the proposal to establish FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) and has issued a clarification in response to the controversies sparked by initial media reports on Tuesday.

“We respect the opinions and concerns openly expressed by all parties and reiterate our commitment to maintaining an open and democratic consultation process.”

FIFA stated that the consultation process has been affected by inaccurate media coverage. The organization will continue discussions to ensure that all member associations can make decisions based on facts before voting.

The proposal to establish FFE is intended solely to ensure that all FIFA member associations have the opportunity to gain meaningful control over the commercial development of football within their own countries, while ensuring that related arrangements do not undermine FIFA, the spirit of football, or the existing governance structure.

“There is no such thing as a sale of football business. FIFA will never consider such a proposal.”

FIFA added that every organization has the right to express opposition and request further clarification, but no single institution can claim to represent all 211 FIFA member associations worldwide. Each member association should have the right to review the proposal and independently decide its own future direction. FIFA said this reflects the democratic principles it follows.

Key Points of the FFE Proposal

1. FFE would take over FIFA’s event commercial operations and event execution-related activities, becoming a subsidiary organization permanently owned and controlled by FIFA.

2. The commercial revenue generated by the organization would be shared among all 211 member associations, helping them make substantial investments in football development at the domestic level.

3. According to the proposal, regardless of each association’s position on FFE, every FIFA member association would receive $20 million in FIFA Forward development funding over the four-year period from 2027 to 2030.

4. The additional funding would come from increased revenue generated through FFE’s optimization of FIFA’s commercial operations, benefiting all member associations.

5. The FIFA Fast Forward Programme would provide an additional one-time development fund of $20 million per association. If the FFE proposal is approved, all associations may choose whether to participate. The funding would come from external investment, would not result in FIFA losing control, and would not change FIFA’s governance structure.

6. If the proposal fails to receive majority support from member associations, FIFA’s existing commercial operations will remain unchanged and FFE will not be established.

FIFA emphasized that the above points represent the foundation of the consultation process. All aspects can be discussed, with parties having the ability to approve, reject, or amend the proposal either as a whole or individually.

The FFE proposal is built around three core principles:

1. Unprecedented financial support for football development

2. Global football commercial opportunities shared by all stakeholders

3. Full autonomy for all member associations to make decisions through a democratic process.