Marc Weber

The World Cup is not FIFA’s to sell. “Outside investors" should be nowhere near the greatest sporting prize on earth. "Outside investors" should be nowhere near a governing body, even a subsidiary of FIFA. The optics are terrible. The threat of interference is obvious. There was enough political interference in the sport at the World Cup over suspending Folarin Balogun’s suspension. Damaged the integrity of the game. There was commercial interference with the sponsored hydration breaks. Damaged the flow of the game. FIFA insists that the billions raised by “outside investors” will help smaller national associations in the story first reported by the Financial Times and Times. That, coincidentally, should guarantee Gianni Infantino votes to continue as FIFA president next March. FIFA also insists that these outside investors’ involvement in “FIFA Forward Enterprise” will not interfere with the “democratic” process of FIFA. But who are these private investors? What are their motives? Ego? Influence? Alarm bells should be ringing throughout world football about this deeply dangerous development.