Premier League Chief: FIFA Pressed the Self-Destruct Button With World Cup Sell-Off Plan

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has delivered a sharp critique of FIFA president Gianni Infantino's ill-fated plan to transfer the commercial and ticketing rights of all future World Cups to a newly created private company called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). Masters said FIFA had pressed the self-destruct button and caused a self-inflicted wound to the governing body.

The FFE Debacle

The FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal was abandoned after widespread condemnation from several football confederations. UEFA, led by Aleksander Ceferin, threatened to boycott all FIFA events unless the plan was dropped, a warning that proved decisive. Masters backed the English Football Association's withdrawal of support for Infantino and called for a new candidate to restore trust in FIFA.

Calls for New Leadership

Speaking to BBC Sport, Masters was direct: "This is a problem of FIFA's making." He warned that the governance crisis risks undermining the game's global commercial attractiveness and called on national associations to push for accountability at FIFA. Infantino has held the FIFA presidency since 2016 and has faced increasing scrutiny over his management style.