World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Meanwhile, I've just come across Swiss Ramble's (typically) masterful analysis of the financial aspects of Infantino's scheming, which for once isn't behind a paywall.

There is some eye-watering stuff, including, eg that the proposal would only have required the approval of more than 50% of member associations, as opposed to the customary 75% majority required for changes in the statutes.

Also, FIFA is sitting on a cash mountain, as it holds substantial reserves. At the end of 2025, FIFA said that these amounted to “a highly satisfactory level of $2,699m in 2025, well above the budgeted amount”. However, that is under-selling the real position, as reserves are always at their highest in the fourth [i.e. World Cup] year of the cycle, as seen by the record $4.0 bln in 2022. Based on the significant growth in the current cycle, this record will be smashed out of sight in 2026, so it is likely to be well above $5 bln.

When you consider that FIFA is also debt-free, those are figures that half the countries in the world would kill for!

Anyhow, it's quite lengthy, so if you like this sort of thing it's well worth sitting down with a cup of tea to read carefully:
FIFA's Plan To Sell Football
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Wow! UEFA really are going for Infantino (and his cronies)!

Uefa has threatened Gianni Infantino with legal action over his World Cup sell-off plan and warned him not to destroy any material relating to it.
Telegraph Sport can reveal that European football’s governing body has also written to Joshua Kushner, Greg Maffei, JP Morgan and OpenEconomics stating it is “actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints” arising from the doomed venture.

In a letter sent to Infantino on Friday, which has been seen by Telegraph Sport, Uefa wrote: “Uefa hereby gives formal notice that it is actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints (together, the “proceedings”) arising out of and in connection with the FFE plan proposed by Fifa and all related matters as further described below.
“You and Fifa are required to take immediate steps to identify, locate, and preserve all documents and electronically stored information described in this notice that are in your or Fifa’s possession, custody, or control. These obligations arise independently of any internal retention policy you or your organisation maintain and supersede any routine document destruction or deletion policies that would otherwise apply.”

And they've drawn Arsene Wenger into it as well - he appearing to be the Saudi's "Man in FIFA", for which he is presumably being very well remunerated. :eek:

Anyhow, full story here (paywalled): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...gianni-infantino-joshua-kushner-legal-action/
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Gawain said:
Meanwhile, I've just come across Swiss Ramble's (typically) masterful analysis of the financial aspects of Infantino's scheming, which for once isn't behind a paywall.

There is some eye-watering stuff, including, eg that the proposal would only have required the approval of more than 50% of member associations, as opposed to the customary 75% majority required for changes in the statutes.

Also, FIFA is sitting on a cash mountain, as it holds substantial reserves. At the end of 2025, FIFA said that these amounted to “a highly satisfactory level of $2,699m in 2025, well above the budgeted amount”. However, that is under-selling the real position, as reserves are always at their highest in the fourth [i.e. World Cup] year of the cycle, as seen by the record $4.0 bln in 2022. Based on the significant growth in the current cycle, this record will be smashed out of sight in 2026, so it is likely to be well above $5 bln.

When you consider that FIFA is also debt-free, those are figures that half the countries in the world would kill for!

Anyhow, it's quite lengthy, so if you like this sort of thing it's well worth sitting down with a cup of tea to read carefully:
FIFA's Plan To Sell Football
Click to expand...
Article in the Observer suggested the plan would have meant a 64 team WC held in the US every 2 years!!!
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Baubaul said:
I think “poor” ol’ Gianni had an overwhelming growth of false confidence after kissing the orange melt’s arse and he flew to close to the sun, the greedy tw*t slap head
Click to expand...

..said our Cultural Attache 😄
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

filmyfan said:
Article in the Observer suggested the plan would have meant a 64 team WC held in the US every 2 years!!!
Click to expand...
Of course. What else would you have expected from this grifter, con-man and corrupt arsehole.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

filmyfan said:
Article in the Observer suggested the plan would have meant a 64 team WC held in the US every 2 years!!!
Click to expand...
A proposal wholeheartedly proposed/supported by one Arsene Wenger:
Arsene Wenger: Play World Cup and Euros every two years and 'kick all the rest out'

That's the same Arse-end who was appointed (by Infantino) to lead a FIFA Task Force on player welfare a couple of years back, and who was forever whingeing about the pressure international football was taking upon club footballers when he was in charge of Arsenal.

Meanwhile, he has today made this statement:
Fifa investment plan had to be scrapped - Arsene Wenger

Why has it taken him a week to speak out, when others publicly condemned it virtually straightaway? Were I a cynic, I might wonder whether he was waiting to try to figure out whether his good friend Infantino could still survive, and has now decided he can't/won't?
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Gawain said:
A proposal wholeheartedly proposed/supported by one Arsene Wenger:
Arsene Wenger: Play World Cup and Euros every two years and 'kick all the rest out'

That's the same Arse-end who was appointed (by Infantino) to lead a FIFA Task Force on player welfare a couple of years back, and who was forever whingeing about the pressure international football was taking upon club footballers when he was in charge of Arsenal.

Meanwhile, he has today made this statement:
Fifa investment plan had to be scrapped - Arsene Wenger

Why has it taken him a week to speak out, when others publicly condemned it virtually straightaway? Were I a cynic, I might wonder whether he was waiting to try to figure out whether his good friend Infantino could still survive, and has now decided he can't/won't?
Click to expand...
Yes, certainly some self preservation going on there.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

It gets better...

Prince Ali [President of the Jordanian FA] has accused Fifa of withholding prize money earned from being runners-up at the Fifa Arab Cup in December.
Before the World Cup final, Infantino said he had received more than 200 letters of support from the 211 member associations for his re-election - Jordan being one of the few not to back him.
Prince Ali, writing on X, claimed prize money had not been paid and Fifa tried to use this to gain support for Infantino.
"It is clear the problem really is with leadership," he wrote. "For months, Fifa has been refusing to help us - until it was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that if I endorsed Infantino it would go a long way to helping our FA out.
Gianni Infantino latest: Fifa chief calls executive meeting as criticism mounts
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

ladbroke said:
Latest is that Infantino has said Morocco can have the final, in 2030, if they pledge to support him as he knows Europe is not.
Click to expand...
The King, Mohammed VI, has invested heavily over about 15 years in Moroccan football (and futsal) infrastructure, from the National Stadium right down to regional training centres for younger talent. I’d guess that Infantino sees their position as Africa’s top footballing environment, plus a single individual driving it, as a single point of influence that the rest of Africa looks up to.

On the other hand, the King does seem to think that European football is his role model with the country competing more as an equal rather than a feeder. Being a co-host country with Spain and Portugal for the 2030 FIFA World Cup is a major achievement so he may prefer to not to get out of step with EUFA.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Banana said:
Not a bad suggestion on the face of it. But that's a *completely different* suggestion than selling off the World Cup and hosting all futures finals in the USA.
Click to expand...
So players need holidays but he wants a major tournament every summer
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

It keep coming

1786136541691.png

1786136567285.png
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Hopefully he'll soon appear in the famous people that you don't hear about thread anymore.

:bounce::sorted::pop:
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Banana said:
Not a bad suggestion on the face of it. But that's a *completely different* suggestion than selling off the World Cup and hosting all futures finals in the USA.
Click to expand...
It’s not a bad suggestion.
It’s a very bad suggestion.
Part of the aura of a World Cup (or Euros) is precisely because it’s every 4 years.
Playing them both every 2 years would devalue both as more and more teams end up winning them.
And playing them both every 2 years would mean a major tournament every single summer which is just ridiculous and unnecessary (except to line people’s pockets).
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

LongLostBee said:
It’s not a bad suggestion.
It’s a very bad suggestion.
Part of the aura of a World Cup (or Euros) is precisely because it’s every 4 years.
Playing them both every 2 years would devalue both as more and more teams end up winning them.
And playing them both every 2 years would mean a major tournament every single summer which is just ridiculous and unnecessary (except to line people’s pockets).
Click to expand...
Indeed.

It's just a different way to make lots more ££££s for FIFA than Infantino's suggestion. Wenger should know better having been a manager. There will be player burnout.

I don't care for either suggestion.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

I think Wenger has just come from a simplistic point of view regarding some players occasionally missing out. Without considering the more important point of “so f*cking what”.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

JANORAK said:
Pressure being maintained on the hairless tiny infant..

UEFA,AFC and CONCACAF have issued a joint statement…

BBC reckons that’s 136 countries with no confidence in him.
Click to expand...
Yup

Here’s the link. Hardline stance taken. Split in CONCACF though as I’m sure Mexico had come out in support of Infant?


www.uefa.com

Open letter to the football family

Joint letter of AFC, CONCACAF and UEFA
www.uefa.com
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

He needs to do the right thing and step down he's too much of a distraction to FIFA now
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

EUFA’s death by 1,000 cuts seems to be working, though; they seem determined not to let up.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

cheekybee74 said:
Yup

Here’s the link. Hardline stance taken. Split in CONCACF though as I’m sure Mexico had come out in support of Infant?


www.uefa.com

Open letter to the football family

Joint letter of AFC, CONCACAF and UEFA
www.uefa.com
Click to expand...
On the basis that "Money Talks", I was very fearful that Infantino would just distribute the proceeds of the sell-off to bribe, er, persuade enough of the individual Associations to back him, come-what-may.

But that open letter makes a powerful counter case to start distributing some of FIFA's massive existing reserves instead (see post #151).

Very well written document (imo), with the only disappointing element being that CONMEBOL are no longer on board on this - as recently as a year or two ago, they were in lockstep with UEFA in opposing Infantino and his plans. The personal bank statements of the heads of the Argentina, Uruguay and Brazilian FA's etc would make interesting reading - that's if they ever saw the light of day from Panama or the Cayman Islands...
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Infantino is a dead man walking now. It’s just matter of time before he goes.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Untouchable said:
Infantino is a dead man walking now. It’s just matter of time before he goes.
Click to expand...
I think/hope you're correct.

But I won't finally believe it until they find him buried at a crossroads at midnight, with a silver dagger in his chest and a bulb of garlic stuffed in his gob.

And even then... 😨
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Untouchable said:
Infantino is a dead man walking now. It’s just matter of time before he goes.
Click to expand...
I'd love to think so but I'm still not entirely convinced. Whilst it looks like a UEFA plus CONMEBOL plus AFC combination could defeat him its unlikely that there would be monolithic support in each continental block. When push comes to shove some of the individual member associations might still back him. I've read that even within Europe the Czechs and a couple of the micro states needed a lot of persuasion to back the UEFA position. Infantino clearly has not a shred of self awareness or decency so he's not going to go easily.

Its also potentially a matter of his personal freedom. If FIFA is properly opened up to scrutiny (and simply electing a new President won't be enough to do that in itself) I suspect it would reveal all sorts of corruption for which he could expect to be held accountable. That in itself is a powerful incentive to cling on for as long as possible.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Gawain said:
I think/hope you're correct.

But I won't finally believe it until they find him buried at a crossroads at midnight, with a silver dagger in his chest and a bulb of garlic stuffed in his gob.

And even then... 😨
Click to expand...
He will go, but only after a period of time where FIFA carefully make it look like he has chosen to go on his own terms with their full support.

And they will line someone up to continue his work in generating millions of ££££s.

It will be a different face but a similar direction of travel
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Garybaldbee said:
I'd love to think so but I'm still not entirely convinced. Whilst it looks like a UEFA plus CONMEBOL plus AFC combination could defeat him its unlikely that there would be monolithic support in each continental block
Click to expand...
I don’t think there needs to be. A UEFA withdrawal from FIFA competitions ruins Infantino and FIFA. The World Cup has zero legitimacy or credibility without UEFA.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Hippobee said:
He will go, but only after a period of time where FIFA carefully make it look like he has chosen to go on his own terms with their full support.

And they will line someone up to continue his work in generating millions of ££££s.

It will be a different face but a similar direction of travel
Click to expand...
After all this, I doubt even he/his cronies could spin it as being "on his own terms etc".

But I fear you may be right about the second bit, sadly.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

"And if you tolerate this, then your children will be next..."

FIFA held talks over private investment in U15 ‘World Cup’ featuring 211 teams​


"FIFA president Gianni Infantino held conversations over the past year with private investors to explore developing and commercializing an Under-15 ‘World Cup’ event inspired by baseball’s Little League World Series.
According to multiple sources familiar with the conversations who will remain anonymous to protect relationships, soccer’s global governing body invited proposals to commercialize a youth “festival” of football, which would have included all 211 nations registered as FIFA member associations."
FIFA held talks over private investment in U15 ‘World Cup’ featuring 211 teams (Paywalled)

The usual mob (mob-types?) were involved: eg businessman Juan Carlos Rodríguez, the former Mexico Football Federation commissioner... ... Eldridge Industries, a global holding company founded and chaired by Todd Boehly, chairman of Premier League team Chelsea and co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers... ... ESPN, a long-time broadcaster of the Little League World Series... ... ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex... Disney World resorts in Orlando, Florida etc
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Seems to have gone under the radar today that UEFA have bottled out of threatening to withdraw from all FIFA competitions.

They have 'received assurances' there will be no repeat of previous misdemeanours. And Infantino is still in place. So that's all good then.

Typical UEFA. Big on words. Little action. No surprises.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Hippobee said:
Seems to have gone under the radar today that UEFA have bottled out of threatening to withdraw from all FIFA competitions.

They have 'received assurances' there will be no repeat of previous misdemeanours. And Infantino is still in place. So that's all good then.

Typical UEFA. Big on words. Little action. No surprises.
Click to expand...
Defeats the point of a boycott if you never follow through. Agreed in terms of no surprises though. They've probably been granted a fatter slice of the pie and that's enough for them.
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Haven't they achieved what they wanted?
 

World Cup to be sold off by FIFA (plus UEFA boycott)

Hippobee said:
Seems to have gone under the radar today that UEFA have bottled out of threatening to withdraw from all FIFA competitions.

They have 'received assurances' there will be no repeat of previous misdemeanours. And Infantino is still in place. So that's all good then.

Typical UEFA. Big on words. Little action. No surprises.
Click to expand...
The problem was that a boycott was going to harm Europe's Women first, by forcing them to cancel their 2027 World Cup Play-Offs at the end of this year (i.e. effective withdrawal from the competition). Which would be a huge blow for them, yet without greatly bothering FIFA in the way eg a boycott of the Mens' World Cup would.

Seems the real problem was that the UEFA Executive didn't consult widely, or think through the consequences, before they made the "boycott" announcement, which is pretty poor, really.

All that said, such threats, whether carried out or not, are as much performative as anything else - the real "action" is the behind-the-scenes lobbying of the other Non-UEFA Confederation Members to undermine Infantino and agree a rival candidate to him, so that they secure enough votes to oust him next March. Let's hope that that is successful.
 
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