Brazilian Football Confederation president Samir Xaud expressed opposition to a controversial FIFA proposal to sell competition commercial rights to private investors on Wednesday afternoon. Speaking in Teresina, Xaud said he does not view the plan backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino favorably and is personally somewhat against selling the rights.
The FIFA plan envisions creating FIFA Forward Enterprise, a company that would handle commercial operations for major tournaments including the World Cup and Club World Cup. The entity would then sell ownership stakes in those commercial operations to private investors.
South American response and European resistance
Xaud stated that the Brazilian Football Confederation is currently holding discussions about the issue with Conmebol, the governing body of South American football. He explained that South American officials intend to make a unified decision together as a block regarding the proposal.
The project faces broader opposition across international football, with the highest resistance coming from UEFA. The European governing body has reportedly threatened to boycott competitions organized by FIFA if the plan moves forward.
