Ceferin Says FIFA Rights Dispute Has Damaged Trust in Football
Aleksander Ceferin has warned that football’s international leadership must restore confidence after FIFA withdrew a proposal to sell part of its commercial rights, saying the dispute has left lasting damage despite the plan being abandoned in July.
World football governance at a glance
| Item | Date or figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Proposed commercial stake sale | 20% | FIFA considered selling a share of commercial rights, including World Cup-related rights, to private investors. |
| FIFA member associations | 211 | Gianni Infantino wrote to the associations and FIFA Council members about possible reforms. |
| Next FIFA Council meeting | 15 October | The Council is expected to consider the prospect of an independent examination of FIFA decision-making. |
Speaking at the Portugal Football Summit on Wednesday, the UEFA president said unity, openness and governance in the interests of the wider game had all been compromised during the controversy. He did not identify FIFA or president Gianni Infantino directly, but his remarks addressed the fallout from the failed investment plan.
Ceferin said football could not be treated as an asset for sale, reiterating UEFA’s long-standing position. He argued that the proposal had divided the global game and that trust would not automatically return simply because it had been withdrawn.
“Not everyone puts the game before personal ambition,” Ceferin said. “Confidence in football is built on unity, transparency and leadership that works for the many rather than the few. Recently, those principles were ignored by people meant to defend them.”
He added that the contested project may have been removed from the agenda, but the confidence lost during the process still needed to be rebuilt. In Ceferin’s view, football will be protected only when those running the sport remember the people and organisations they are meant to serve.
The proposed deal became one of the major disputes following the 2026 World Cup. FIFA had explored selling a 20% interest in commercial rights connected to its competitions, with the World Cup included, to private investment groups.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf opposed the proposal. UEFA’s 55 national associations also indicated that they would refuse to take part in FIFA competitions if the plan proceeded, before FIFA abandoned it in July.
The focus has since shifted from the commercial proposal itself to FIFA’s internal process for taking major decisions. Infantino wrote on Monday to the 211 member associations and the members of the FIFA Council, outlining potential changes following the backlash.
Among the options is an independent review of FIFA’s decision-making arrangements, particularly for significant projects. Infantino has said he will present the matter to the FIFA Council rather than impose a review unilaterally, with the body due to convene again on 15 October.
