Gianni Infantino wants to sell the World Cup – but it’s not his to sell

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino is proposing to package the World Cup's commercial rights into an investment vehicle worth twenty billion dollars, then sell private investors a roughly twenty percent stake in the broadcasting, sponsorship, licensing, and ticketing revenues. Per The Conversation, the plan has triggered alarm from UEFA, which says Infantino is crossing a line: "It's not FIFA's to sell." The UK prime minister made the same point more directly: "Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will." Behind the governance concern lies a deeper question — FIFA administers the World Cup, but didn't create the cultural value that makes it worth billions. That value was built over nearly a century by fans, families, and communities passing down stories, rivalries, and memories. Extracting profit from heritage created by others, without consultation or transparency, has backfired before: the European Super League tried the same move in twenty twenty-one and collapsed within forty-eight hours when supporters revolted. Whether Infantino faces similar resistance remains to be seen.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton