European football's governing body, UEFA, has strongly opposed FIFA's proposal to bring private investment into its competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, warning that the move could alter the governance of the global game.
FIFA, football's world governing body, has proposed raising football development funding to more than $10 billion (£7.5 billion) through a new commercial subsidiary that would allow minority, non-controlling private investment while keeping governance under FIFA's control.
The proposal must be approved by FIFA's member associations before it can be implemented.
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The plans were first reported by the Financial Times and The Times. According to The Times, the proposed investment structure could potentially generate tens of millions of pounds for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a claim cited by BBC Sport.
FIFA has said the investment would help expand football development globally, with member associations eligible to access up to $20 million (£15 million) in one-off funding. It has also maintained that it would retain exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, the international match calendar and all regulatory decisions.
UEFA, however, has sharply criticised the proposal, arguing that football's governance should not be opened to private investors and warning that commercial interests could influence the future of the sport.
"This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross," UEFA said in a statement.
"The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. [The World Cup] is not FIFA's to sell," the European governing body said.
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According to BBC Sport, UEFA is concerned that private investors could push FIFA to expand its competitions in size or frequency to generate higher returns, potentially affecting the balance of the international football calendar and rival tournaments.
Separately, the Associated Press reported that Infantino's proposal involves creating a $20 billion company to oversee the commercial operations of the FIFA World Cup, with backing from private investors, including interests linked to the Kushner family.
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