FIFA Confirms Plan To Sell $20 Billion Stake In World Cup Business

FIFA has officially confirmed it: the organization is selling a stake in its commercial operations through a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise, valued at $20 billion. The plan is to bring in outside investors as much as 20% ownership to raise up to $4.2 billion, all riding on the wave of cash this summer's World Cup generated.

FIFA says it isn't giving up control. Football decisions, competitions, the calendar all of that stays in-house, they insist. Only the commercial side is up for sale. But UEFA has already fired back, calling the whole thing a step too far, and arguing football's soul shouldn't be treated like a stock to trade.

Here's the real story: FIFA just made more money off a World Cup than ever before, and instead of simply banking it, they're inviting private investors including a fund linked to the Kushner family to buy a piece of that success. Fans built this game's value for free. Now outsiders get to own part of it.