After FIFA's investment plan sparked controversy, the European Footballers' Association (FIFPRO) also voiced its opposition, with the core issue being that players had almost no involvement in the decision-making process.
In a statement on Wednesday, FIFPRO said it was disturbing that such a large-scale project was being carried out almost behind closed doors, with the most affected parties not being involved to a considerable extent until an agreement was nearing completion.
The European branch of this global players' rights organization has made it clear that it does not support FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a portion of the World Cup to private investors, and FIFPRO "will never do that."
FIFA's breach of trust has further reinforced FIFPRO's position. The two sides only reached a statement of intent at the end of June, agreeing to better focus on player well-being in the future. FIFPRO stated that FIFA's recent bypassing of the newly established dialogue mechanism only exacerbates these concerns.
Following the breakdown of trust, FIFPRO, representing approximately 35,000 professional footballers in Europe, turned its attention to calling on national football associations and governments to work together to preserve "football" as a "public good" and protect the interests of the players.
