UEFA opposes FIFA plans to sell World Cup commercial stake to private investors

FIFA has outlined plans to create a new commercial entity to manage future men’s and women’s World Cup rights, seeking to sell a 20 to 30 percent stake to private investors to raise over $4 billion.

The proposal has drawn immediate backlash from European football leadership. UEFA and several national associations expressed sharp opposition, with administrators taking the situation "extremely seriously." European federations have scheduled emergency meetings to evaluate their response, with discussions reportedly covering potential boycott measures to counter FIFA's commercial strategy. Critics within European governance argued that private entities should not hold commercial control over international football tournaments.

Sources: Aftenposten, Der Standard, Le Figaro, NV, Tagesschau