The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced plans to review FIFA’s proposed commercial restructuring initiative that would allow private investors to acquire minority stakes in the governing body’s flagship competitions, including the FIFA World Cup.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, CAF said its President, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, will convene a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee next week to assess the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative.
“The CAF President, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, will host a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee next week to assess and evaluate the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative,” the continental football body stated.
FIFA on Tuesday unveiled plans to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial subsidiary that would manage and commercialise its major tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Under the proposal, private investors would be permitted to acquire minority stakes in the new company. FIFA estimates the venture could be valued at approximately $20 billion and raise as much as $4.2 billion.
If approved, the initiative would provide each of FIFA’s 211 member associations with a one-time payment of $20 million in early 2027. It would also increase development funding for each association from $8 million to $20 million during the 2027–2030 funding cycle.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the proposal as a “golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally.”
However, the initiative has faced growing resistance from several football governing bodies and political stakeholders. UEFA, a number of leading European football federations, and European Union officials have criticised the proposal, arguing that it could accelerate the commercialisation of football and create potential conflicts of interest.
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have also expressed concern that the proposal was announced before FIFA completed consultations with its 211 member associations.
Despite the concerns, CAF reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with member associations on the proposal while supporting efforts to increase financial resources for football development.
CAF stated that it remains committed to continued consultations with its member associations “in support of increasing financial and other resources for the development and growth of football in Africa and worldwide.”
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