By ASVG Media
The political fallout from FIFA’s abandoned plan to introduce private investors into its commercial-rights business has intensified, with German Football Association president Bernd Neuendorf accusing FIFA President Gianni Infantino of using a new reform initiative to strengthen his position ahead of the March 2027 presidential election. FIFA abandoned a proposal in July that could have sold up to a 20% stake in a new entity containing major commercial rights, including assets associated with the World Cup, after opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation. Infantino has now written to FIFA’s 211 associations proposing reforms and an independent review of decision-making.
The dispute matters enormously to African football because FIFA’s commercial assets ultimately finance development distributions, competitions and federation programs across the continent. Selling equity in those assets could generate substantial capital immediately, but it could also transfer part of football’s future cash flow to outside investors. Africa’s 54 FIFA member associations therefore have both political leverage and a major financial interest in the debate. Any future commercialization structure should answer a fundamental question: does private capital create additional value for football, or merely acquire a share of revenues football would have generated anyway?
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