According to the Daily Mail, at an emergency meeting held by UEFA today, its 55 member football associations will express their concerns about FIFA President Gianni Infantino's World Cup commercialization plan and discuss solutions, not ruling out the possibility of leaving FIFA.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently announced plans to establish a commercial subsidiary to operate the company's core competitions, including the World Cup, often referred to as the "football extravaganza." He has set September 19 as the final deadline, requiring all 211 member associations worldwide to sign and agree to the agreement in exchange for an initial grant of $20 million (approximately £15 million).
FIFA warned that associations failing to approve the plan by the deadline would only receive about a quarter of the proposed amount. The proposal was met with fierce criticism from UEFA, and newly appointed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham denounced Gianni Infantino as having "completely betrayed the interests of the football community."
The 55 member associations of UEFA will meet at this meeting to discuss this sudden change. Scottish Football Association Chief Executive Ian Maxwell and Chairman Mike Mollani will both be in attendance.
Despite Moulani's awkward position as chairman of FIFA's Finance Committee, it is understood that Maxwell will still clearly express the Scottish Football Association's opposition. Hampton Park officials believe the proposal not only lacks specific details, but Infantino's hasty push for the plan is also shocking.
Following the outrageously high ticket prices for this summer's World Cup, this new plan has once again sparked strong outrage among fans. If the plan is ultimately approved by member associations and the FIFA Council, the new company, named "FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE)," will fully integrate FIFA's commercial operations and event management.
FIFA insists that the establishment of the FFE will significantly increase football development funding allocated to member associations. Over the next four years, FIFA plans to invest more than $10 billion (approximately £7.5 billion) in development. Critics argue that selling equity to private investors is effectively paving the way for changing the World Cup to a biennial event.
FIFA also stated that they will "carefully select long-term investors and only relinquish a minority non-controlling stake in FFE."
However, sources have revealed that Thrive Eternal, a company founded in April of this year by Joshua Kushner, the brother of President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, will lead the proposed investment consortium for FFE.
Prior to this news breaking, Trump had successfully lobbied FIFA to lift the ban on American striker Flalin Balogun, allowing him to play in the Round of 16 match against Belgium.
UEFA initially condemned the plan as "crossing the line," but after learning the details of the September 19 deadline, it further accused FIFA of "using the football community to seek personal gain for itself and its cronies." In its official statement, UEFA wrote: "Today we learned that FIFA has given associations an ultimatum: either support the proposal or lose the opportunity to receive a one-time grant, which clearly reveals the nature of the plan."
"However, through communication with various stakeholders in the football community, UEFA has learned that the voices opposing FIFA's plan are growing stronger. FIFA must not continue to use the football community to seek personal gain for itself and its cronies."
“We have the right way to promote the development of football. Now is the time to put the interests of member associations, clubs, leagues, players and fans first.”
Currently, only the Czech Republic has publicly expressed its support for the plan, making it the only country in Europe to stand with Infantino.
It is understood that today's meeting will discuss all possible solutions, including boycotting all FIFA-affiliated competitions, and even the possibility of breaking away from FIFA and starting anew.
