"None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell." UEFA said that. And if Gianni Infantino pushes through his reported plan to market a stake in the World Cup to private investors, those words could define the next four years of football politics.
The Times broke the story: Infantino is allegedly pushing to create a new company that would oversee top FIFA competitions — including the World Cup and Club World Cup — and open the door to private investment. Joshua Kushner is reportedly among those being considered. President Trump has allegedly been briefed on the idea. And Infantino himself could reportedly pocket tens of millions of dollars if the deal goes through.
UEFA draws the line
UEFA's response was about as direct as governing body statements get. "This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross," they said, calling on national associations, leagues, clubs, players, supporters, and governments to take it seriously. The language wasn't diplomatic. It was a warning shot.
The 2026 World Cup was, by every commercial measure, a success. Revenue flowed. Viewership held. Sponsors were happy. So the question isn't whether the World Cup makes money — it clearly does. The question is who that money belongs to, and whether privatising the governance structure changes football's relationship with itself permanently.
That's not a small concern. Once private capital has a seat at the table, its interests don't disappear when inconvenient. Ask any fan who's watched their club get leveraged into debt by owners chasing returns.
The boycott idea gaining traction
Richard Deitsch of The Athletic floated the nuclear option: what if Mbappe, Haaland, Bellingham, and the rest of the world's best players simply refused to show up? "I know this never happens outside of the movies," he wrote, "but what if the best players in the world simply said: 'F*** you. We refuse to play under this scenario.'"
His colleague Adam Crafton was blunter still: "We're about to find out once and for all if the rest of football views Infantino as a convenient cover for all the s*** they want to do but don't have the courage to do... or if they'll finally find some guts and bring him down."
The deal hasn't been approved. But if it moves forward, any betting market on whether the 2030 World Cup features its full cast of stars just got a lot more complicated.
