England's Football Association (FA) has formally expressed deep concerns regarding a new proposal from FIFA to establish a commercial subsidiary aimed at managing football events. The world governing body announced on Tuesday that this entity, to be known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), would be tasked with running events and would reportedly have links to the extended family of US President Donald Trump.
In a statement, the FA emphasized that it was completely unaware of the proposal prior to the announcement. The organization noted that it currently possesses no substantive details regarding the nature of the proposition or the conditions attached to it. According to the FA, the lack of process and governance leading to this point is highly troubling, as are the apparent substance and principles involved. The association stated that it intends to provide further commentary once FIFA shares the proposal in the full and transparent manner that has been promised.
The announcement has triggered a significant backlash across the football landscape. UEFA, the governing body for European football, issued a sharp rebuke, insisting that the World Cup should not be treated as an "asset to trade." British Prime Minister Andy Burnham also weighed in on the issue via X, declaring that "football does not belong to investors." He added that the World Cup is the greatest competition in world sport and was never anyone's to sell.
In response to the criticism, FIFA stated that the FFE would be used to select long-term investors who would purchase minority, non-controlling interests in the subsidiary. The governing body asserted that it would retain sole control of FFE and maintain exclusive authority over all regulatory and sporting decisions, including football governance, competition management, and the match calendar.
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