MIAMI (DA) — CONCACAF and its 41 member associations welcomed the withdrawal of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise on Saturday, ending a plan that drew strong opposition over governance, transparency and the proposed involvement of private investors in FIFA’s commercial operations.
The announcement marks a sharp reversal after FIFA said it would continue consulting its 211 member associations despite CONCACAF’s collective rejection of the proposal.
CONCACAF praised its members and the wider football community for standing together against the plan.
“That unity has prevailed,” the confederation said.
FIFA Forward Enterprise would have placed FIFA’s commercial rights and tournament operations into a subsidiary owned and controlled by the organization. FIFA planned to raise outside capital by selling minority, non-controlling interests in the company.
The proposal was tied to plans to significantly increase FIFA Forward development funding and create an optional program offering additional financing for major football projects.
CONCACAF said the controversy exposed serious concerns about how the future of the FIFA World Cup, which it described as football’s greatest asset, was handled outside established governance procedures and without proper consultation.
The confederation went beyond criticizing the proposal, saying the episode followed a pattern of leadership failures and calling for broader scrutiny of FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s administration.
“A comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative,” CONCACAF said.
Representatives from the region serving on the FIFA Council have been instructed to pursue governance, accountability and leadership concerns through the procedures established in FIFA’s statutes.
They will also explore how part of FIFA’s reserves could be distributed to CONCACAF members through the existing FIFA Forward program without relying on the withdrawn structure or outside investment.
CONCACAF also acknowledged the media’s role in bringing the proposal and the questions surrounding it into public view.
The confederation said FIFA must operate as an institution held in trust for the game and its members, with those appointed to lead it placing service and accountability above individual power.