Concacaf criticises Fifa plan to sell World Cup stakes to private investors

Concacaf has joined Uefa in criticising Fifa’s plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors. In a strongly worded statement the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football said the Association was unaware of Infantino’s plans and expressed deep concerns about Fifa’s governance and a lack of due process.

The proposal under scrutiny would create a new commercial entity in which ownership stakes would be sold to private investors; Fifa has valued that entity at $20bn (£15bn). Members given 19 September deadline to opt in has been reported as part of the timetable attached to the initiative. The plan has been publicly linked to Fifa president Gianni Infantino and has already attracted criticism from Uefa prior to Concacaf’s intervention.

Concacaf’s statement emphasised the manner in which the proposal became public and the limited engagement with member associations before the details emerged. The confederation said it first learned of the proposal through media reports rather than through internal Fifa channels. That lack of prior notice reinforced the organisation’s claims of insufficient procedural safeguards around the deal.

The financial scale attached to the proposal — a $20bn (£15bn) valuation for the new commercial vehicle — is central to the concerns voiced by national and continental bodies. Those figures underline why members are being asked to consider an opt-in decision by a specified deadline. The potential transfer of rights and commercial control to private investors is the core element prompting debate among governing bodies.

Uefa’s earlier public objections have provided a backdrop to Concacaf’s response, with both continental federations signalling unease at the mechanics and governance of the transaction. Concacaf framed its reaction in institutional terms, focusing on governance standards and the process by which member consent would be solicited. The expression of those worries in a strongly worded statement mirrors the tone of other federations that have raised questions.

While national associations now face the 19 September deadline to decide on participation, Concacaf’s intervention ensures the controversy remains a matter of public record within the sport’s administration. The confederation’s concerns focus on the governance and procedural issues surrounding the sale proposal and on the timing and manner of its disclosure to members.