CAF Urges Member Associations To Review FIFA’s Private Investor Proposal

CAF Urges Member Associations to Review FIFA’s Private Investor Proposal The Confederation of African Football CAF has called on its 54 member associations to carefully review FIFA’s controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of its flagship competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, before taking a position on the plan. The move comes amid growing concerns over the governance, financial and legal implications of the proposal.

In a letter to its members, CAF said it remained committed to consulting with national football associations, FIFA and other continental confederations to ensure that any decision is made transparently and in the best interests of global football. The African governing body stressed the need for greater dialogue before endorsing a plan that could significantly reshape the commercial future of the sport. FIFA’s proposal would establish a new commercial entity responsible for managing the business operations of major tournaments, including the World Cup, with private investors acquiring a minority stake. FIFA has argued that the initiative would unlock billions of dollars in new funding that could be redistributed to its 211 member associations to support football development around the world. However, the proposal has drawn criticism from several football stakeholders, including UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation AFC, players’ unions and supporters’ groups, who have questioned the lack of consultation and warned that private investment could prioritize commercial interests over the integrity of the game. They have also called for greater transparency regarding the governance, valuation and long-term consequences of the proposed deal. CAF said it supports efforts to increase financial resources for football development across Africa but believes any reform of FIFA’s commercial structure should be subjected to comprehensive review and broad consensus among all confederations. The issue is expected to feature prominently in discussions ahead of a vote by FIFA member associations later this year, with the outcome likely to shape the future financing of international football.