Football: Latest Statement by Infantino on FIFA Private Investment Plan
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA, has issued a Statement on video on 30 July 2026 regarding his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
In the Statement, he has characterised the plan as “a proposal not an obligation”, after the outcry in football circles which greeted it.
However, Infantino has stated that strengthening the commercial side of the game is the natural next step in the evolution of the tournament, remarking that:
“It’s part of a democratic process – a consultation process – and, above all, it is an opportunity but not an obligation, and, as I said, it kicks off the consultation process.”
He added that fans will remain the cornerstone of football and that:
“FIFA obviously continues to govern football without any external interference. And the flagship tournament it organises, like the FIFA World Cup or the FIFA Women’s World Cup, will always remain.”
FIFA is one of the world’s wealthiest sports organisations and the 2026 World Cup generated revenues of around US$15 billion (around €13 billion), mainly from the sale of broadcast rights, sponsorship and other commercial rights.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
