Ex-FIFA chief Blatter blasts plan to sell stake in World Cup to investors

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, reported that former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has sharply criticized FIFA’s plan to create a new subsidiary valued at $20bn to manage the World Cup and other events. The report, published July 29, 2026, said FIFA announced the proposal on Tuesday and intends to sell as much as 20 percent of the entity to outside investors.

Blatter, who led FIFA for 17 years before being replaced by Gianni Infantino in 2015, argued that the World Cup should not be treated as an investment vehicle or placed under a profit-driven corporate model. He said football is held for the public rather than controlled by individuals or institutions, and described FIFA’s role as that of a steward of the tournament, not an owner with the right to sell it.

The proposed structure has also drawn opposition from European football bodies. According to the article, UEFA accused FIFA of effectively putting the sport on the market. Blatter said private investors seeking returns and influence would be at odds with the membership-based model that has historically governed football associations.

The dispute matters because the World Cup is FIFA’s flagship event and one of the most valuable properties in global sport. Bringing in outside investors could provide major new capital, but critics fear it would shift control and priorities away from fans, national associations and the broader football community. FIFA’s current leadership has not been quoted in the supplied report responding directly to Blatter’s criticism.