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World football governing body FIFA has shelved its proposed private investment plan after concluding that the initiative had become too divisive among its member associations despite efforts to build consensus.
FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, had proposed establishing a new commercial entity to oversee the organisation’s flagship competitions, including the FIFA World Cup.
Under the plan, private investors would have been allowed to acquire minority, non-controlling stakes in the venture, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
Member associations were told they had until September 19 to indicate their support for the proposal in order to qualify for an initial $20 million (about £15 million) in funding.
But the football governing body and its president received backlash over the proposal.
In a statement issued on Saturday and attributed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, world football’s governing body said it would no longer pursue the proposal after consultations with member associations, continental confederations, the FIFA Council and other stakeholders.
“The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed,” the statement said.
Infantino said FIFA had made clear from the outset that the proposal would only move forward if it enjoyed broad backing across its membership.
“And more so, as we said from the outset, to do this only if a majority of the FIFA Member Associations were in support and always subject to a consultation process with them, the FIFA Council, the Confederations and wider stakeholders.”
According to the FIFA president, the consultation process revealed that the proposal had generated divisions that outweighed its intended benefits.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.”
He said FIFA’s primary objective remained promoting unity across global football.
“As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
He added that FIFA would now seek to rebuild consensus among its stakeholders while continuing efforts to develop football around the world.
“Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.”
The FIFA Forward Programme was launched in 2016 as one of FIFA’s flagship development initiatives, providing financial and technical support to its 211 member associations and the six continental confederations.
The programme has funded football infrastructure, youth development, women’s football, governance reforms and capacity-building projects, particularly in developing football nations.
The proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise project was presented as a mechanism to further strengthen the programme’s long-term sustainability and expand support for member associations, especially those with limited financial resources.
However, discussions around the proposal prompted differing views among FIFA’s membership and stakeholders over its structure and implementation.
Statement attributable to the FIFA President
The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed. And more so, as we said…
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) July 31, 2026
