Real Madrid have publicly commended Uefa and other football authorities for their role in forcing Fifa to abandon a controversial plan that would have seen private investors take a stake in a company overseeing World Cup commercial rights.
The Spanish giants issued a statement welcoming Fifa's decision to shelve the proposal, which had drawn fierce opposition from multiple continental confederations and threatened to plunge world football's governing body into a serious institutional crisis.
The plan centred on the creation of Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new entity that would have managed the commercial and operational side of Fifa's competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups. The most contentious aspect was a proposal to sell a 20 per cent stake in that company to outside investors, a move that alarmed several member federations and confederations.
Uefa emerged as the most vocal opponent, going as far as threatening to boycott Fifa competitions unless the plan was withdrawn. The European body also issued a pointed statement declaring that Fifa president Gianni Infantino had "lost the confidence" of Uefa, escalating tensions between the two organisations. Uefa is reportedly still weighing further measures, including the possibility of pushing for a no-confidence vote against Infantino, an action that would need support from 43 Fifa member nations to proceed.
Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also voiced their opposition to the sell-off plan, adding to the pressure that ultimately led Fifa to abandon the proposal altogether. The episode represents a significant blow to Infantino's authority within the organisation.
The internal fallout extended beyond the confederations. Carlos Cordeiro, who served as Infantino's senior adviser on global strategy and governance, resigned in protest, describing the proposal as "a bad deal for football" that would "mortgage football's future." Meanwhile, Fifa's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, acknowledged that the organisation's administration had been "deceived" over the details of the project.
In its statement, Real Madrid framed the outcome as a victory not just for clubs but for the sport as a whole. "Real Madrid values very positively the decision taken by Fifa to abandon the proposal to partially sell the commercial rights of its competitions,” the club said, adding that it was "good news for football, for its institutions and, above all, for the millions of fans of our beloved sport."
The 15-time European champions went on to thank the institutions that resisted the plan. "Real Madrid would like to express its gratitude to Uefa, the confederations and federations, and all the institutions that firmly and responsibly opposed this project," the statement continued. "Their unity and sense of duty have protected football at a decisive moment."
The club also emphasised the foundational role that clubs play in developing the players who make international competitions possible. "Clubs are the foundation on which national team football and the World Cup are built," the statement read, noting that clubs are responsible for discovering, training and developing the talent that ultimately represents national teams on the biggest stages.
Real Madrid further argued that competitions like the World Cup should be regarded as a public good rather than a commercial commodity. "National team football and the World Cup are, above all, events of public interest, and they make up a heritage that belongs to nations, fans and society as a whole," the club said, adding that such competitions "should never be treated as simple financial assets intended to be marketed for the benefit of a few."
The controversy has exposed deep divisions at the top of world football and raised fresh questions about Infantino's leadership, with Uefa's next steps likely to shape the governing body's direction in the months ahead.
Based on reporting from Independent (football).