Dr Patrice Motsepe (L) and Gianni Infantino
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced it will assess FIFA’s proposed commercial restructuring plan, which seeks to sell minority stakes in a new company that would manage the world governing body’s biggest competitions, including the FIFA World Cup.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, CAF confirmed that its President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, will convene a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee next week to evaluate the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative.
FIFA unveiled the plan earlier this week, revealing its intention to establish a commercial subsidiary to oversee flagship tournaments such as the World Cup and Club World Cup. The organisation aims to raise up to $4.2 billion through the sale of minority stakes in the new entity, which is valued at $20 billion.
If approved, each of FIFA’s 211 member associations would receive a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027. Annual development funding for the 2027–2030 cycle would also increase from $8 million to $20 million per association.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has described the proposal as a major opportunity to accelerate football development worldwide.
However, the initiative has faced opposition from UEFA, several European football associations and European Union officials, who have raised concerns over the growing commercialisation of the sport and possible conflicts of interest.
CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have also questioned the decision to make the proposal public before consulting all 211 FIFA member associations.
CAF reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with its member associations while supporting efforts to increase financial resources for the development of football across Africa and beyond.