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Questioning the Risks of Privatizing Global Football

Published August 2, 2026 at 6:32 AM UTC

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Critics of the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, including UEFA and CONCACAF, warned that the proposal threatened the very soul of the sport. By inviting private equity into the governance of the World Cup, they argued that FIFA risked prioritizing profit over the interests of fans, players, and the integrity of the game. The lack of transparency in the project's development, which was reportedly conceived in secret, fueled concerns about accountability and the potential for undue influence by external commercial interests. For many, the plan represented a dangerous shift toward the commodification of football, leading to widespread calls for leadership changes and a re-evaluation of how FIFA makes major strategic decisions.