KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: FIFA has sought to tone down the aggressive language over its World Cup sell-out proposal in the face of unprecedented criticism within the world game.

However a statement intended to calm fears about its commercial plotting with Trump family sources does not withdraw the September 19 deadline for national associations to decide whether they want to grab the initial $20m incentive.

FIFA said:

We have heard the feedback provided by the respective confederations in relation to the proposed establishment of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and would like to address the issues that have surfaced since the initial media reporting on Tuesday.

We respect the feedback and concern aired in public and reaffirm our commitment to an open and democratic consultation.

⁠Our planned consultation process was disrupted by incorrect media reports. We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each MA has the ability to express its vote based on facts.

FFE has been proposed solely to ensure that all FIFA Member Associations (MAs) have the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of the commercial opportunity of football in their respective countries, and that this does not come at the cost of either the spirit or the governance of FIFA or football itself.

Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain.

Everyone has the right to express their opposition and to seek further clarification but no single entity can claim to represent all 211 MAs around the world. Each MA should be allowed to review the proposal and have a say in shaping their own future. These are the democratic principles of FIFA.

As per the proposal:

  • FFE would move FIFA’s commercial and operational event delivery activities into a subsidiary organisation that FIFA would own and control permanently.
  • ⁠The commercial value created would be shared among all 211 MAs, enabling each MA to make meaningful investments in football in their respective countries.
  • ⁠Under the proposal, each MA would receive USD 20 million of FIFA Forward Development funding over the next four years (2027-2030), irrespective of its individual support.
  • ⁠This increased funding would come from the additional revenues generated by FFE through the more effective management of FIFA’s commercial operations, for the benefit of all MAs.
  • ⁠The FIFA Fast Forward Programme is a one-off development funding of an additional USD 20 million per MA – participation would be fully voluntary for all MAs should the FFE proposal proceed – and would be financed by external investment without ceding control or altering FIFA’s governance structure in any way.
  • ⁠Without the support of the majority of MAs, FIFA’s commercial activities would remain unchanged. FFE would not be established.

These components represent the starting point of the consultation process and are open for discussion as part of that process. This can include approval, rejection or amendment in their entirety or individually.

These principles underpin the FFE proposal: unprecedented development funding, truly global ownership of the commercial opportunities of our sport, and full self-determination through a democratic process for all MAs.

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