Aleksander Ceferin has gone straight for the jugular. The Uefa president says Fifa counterpart Gianni Infantino needs to remember he is European, having already branded Infantino’s plan to sell off a stake in the World Cup “worse than the Super League”. The two men once worked side by side at Uefa. Now the split is public, and it took a boycott threat to settle it.
What Ceferin actually said
Ceferin’s verdict is that handing a slice of the World Cup to private investors was more damaging than the 2021 Super League breakaway. That is the strongest criticism a Uefa president has ever aimed at a Fifa president.
The line about remembering he is European is pointed. Infantino was Uefa’s general secretary before moving to Fifa in 2016, and Ceferin is framing the plan as a betrayal of the continent that made him.
Inside the plan: 21% of Fifa’s commercial rights
Fifa proposed creating a new company, Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run the commercial and ticketing rights for all Fifa competitions. A 21% stake was to be sold to a private investment company.
In plain terms, outside shareholders would have held part of the economic engine of the World Cup. Ticketing and commercial rights are where the tournament’s money actually lives.
The boycott threat that killed it
Uefa led the opposition and its members voted to boycott World Cups unless the plan was scrapped. Earlier this month, Fifa abandoned the proposal.
A World Cup without European nations does not work commercially or competitively. The threat therefore struck directly at the value of the asset Fifa wanted to sell into.
Why it matters for England and the Premier League
The Football Association is one of Uefa’s 55 member associations, so English football sits inside the bloc that forced the U-turn. Any Uefa position on Fifa governance carries the FA with it.
The argument also lands close to home. Private investment in English football has been a live debate for years across the Premier League, from multi-club ownership to outside capital in league media rights. The underlying question is the same one Ceferin is asking: how much of the game should be for sale?
What happens next
The FFE project is dead, but the rift between Fifa and Uefa is wide open with the 2026 World Cup approaching, the first 48-team edition of the tournament. Both bodies now have to work together on the biggest World Cup ever staged.
The open question is whether Fifa returns with a softer version of the same idea. Ceferin has drawn a very visible red line.
FAQ
What did Aleksander Ceferin say about Gianni Infantino?
The Uefa president said Infantino must remember he is European, and described his plan to sell off a stake in the World Cup as worse than the Super League.
What was Fifa Forward Enterprise?
A proposed company that would have managed the commercial and ticketing rights of all Fifa competitions, with 21% to be sold to a private investment company.
Why did Uefa oppose the plan?
Uefa led the opposition on the grounds that it handed economic control of the game to private investors. Its members voted to boycott World Cups unless the plan was scrapped.
Has the plan been dropped?
Yes. Fifa abandoned the proposal earlier this month after the opposition led by Uefa.
How does this compare with the Super League?
The Super League was the 2021 breakaway competition launched by several major European clubs. Ceferin argues Fifa’s plan was even more harmful to the sport.
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