UEFA’s 55 member associations are set to hold an emergency virtual meeting to deliberate on FIFA’s plan to allow external investors to acquire stakes in its major competitions.
The discussion follows FIFA’s announcement of a new commercial subsidiary that will oversee parts of its business operations involving tournaments such as the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup.
FIFA says the move is aimed at boosting revenue, increasing global football development funding to $10 billion, and providing each of its 211 member associations with up to $20 million in one-time financial support.
However, the proposal has faced strong opposition from UEFA, which criticised the plan before FIFA’s official announcement, warning that it could hand private investors excessive influence over football’s biggest competitions.
The Football Association has also raised concerns, saying it was not consulted before the proposal was unveiled.
