FIFA is facing immediate resistance after president Gianni Infantino revealed a plan to create a $20 billion company to run the World Cup. The proposal involves private investors, including the Kushner family, and quickly triggered a furious response from UEFA, European soccer's governing body.
The dispute centers on how the World Cup would be managed under a new commercial structure tied to outside money. By bringing in major investors for an operation linked to soccer's biggest tournament, FIFA has opened a new front in its already sensitive relationship with European football leaders.
UEFA's rapid criticism shows how contentious the idea is likely to become. Any move that changes control, oversight or the business model around the World Cup is bound to attract scrutiny, especially from Europe, where many of the sport's most powerful federations, clubs and stakeholders are based.
For FIFA, the announcement signals an effort to reshape the way the World Cup is organized and financed. For UEFA, the reaction makes clear that the plan is not being accepted quietly, setting up a broader fight over the future direction of the global game.
