EU lawmakers move to summon FIFA’s Infantino over World Cup investment plan

The European Parliament is preparing to summon FIFA President Gianni Infantino for a hearing over his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, escalating a crisis that has already prompted UEFA's 55 member nations to threaten a boycott of all FIFA competitions.

A Political Career Ladder

A draft letter obtained by Euronews and now circulating among MEPs from all political groups invites Infantino to appear before lawmakers in the spirit of "transparency and democratic accountability that FIFA has itself publicly endorsed." The letter, circulated by Polish conservative MEP Bogdan Zdrojewski, has been sent to leading members of the Parliament's Culture and Education committee for approval.euronews

"The global good that is the World Cup is not anyone's to sell," Irish MEP Barry Andrews told Euronews. The draft letter accuses Infantino of treating FIFA as "a personal asset, campaign fund and political career ladder," and warns the Parliament "will not stand by" if the organisation's governance continues on its current path.euronews

If approved by a majority of the committee's lawmakers, the formal invitation to Infantino will be sent in September.euronews

The Plan That Sparked a Revolt

FIFA announced on July 22 that it would create a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise to house its commercial rights and tournament operations, valued at roughly $20 billion, and sell up to 20 percent to external investors to raise approximately $4.2 billion. The anchor investor would be Thrive Capital, led by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared is former senior adviser and son-in-law to US President Donald Trump.sports.yahoo+2

Infantino set a September 19 deadline for FIFA's 211 member federations to accept the plan, sweetening the offer with $20 million per association — double the $10 million available if the proposal is rejected, according to a letter seen by the Associated Press.apnews

UEFA's Boycott Threat

The reaction was swift and fierce. UEFA declared the World Cup "is not FIFA's to sell" and, following an emergency meeting on July 24, its 55 member associations voted unanimously to boycott all FIFA competitions unless the proposal is abandoned entirely. CONCACAF and England's Football Association also expressed deep concern over the lack of consultation.sportsnet+2

Reuters reported that FIFA's Infantino responded by calling the initiative "only a proposal, not an obligation," framing it as the start of a consultation process. But with both parliamentary scrutiny and a continental boycott now looming, pressure on the FIFA president is mounting from multiple directions ahead of the organisation's 2027 presidential election — in which Infantino has already declared he will stand for re-election.reuters+1