'World Cup belongs to fans, not investors,' says Real Madrid after FIFA drops FFE plan
Madrid, Aug 2
Real Madrid has welcomed FIFA's decision to withdraw its controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, saying the move was "good news for football" and reiterating that the commercial rights of competitions such as the FIFA World Cup should never be treated as financial assets.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Spanish giants praised FIFA for abandoning the proposal following widespread opposition from football stakeholders, adding that the decision was in the best interests of the sport and its supporters.
"Real Madrid C.F. warmly welcomes FIFA's decision to abandon the proposal for the partial sale of the commercial rights to its competitions. Our club believes this is good news for football, for its governing bodies and, above all, for the millions of fans of our beloved sport," the club said in an official statement.
The club also thanked UEFA, the continental confederations, national federations and other institutions that opposed the proposal, saying their collective stand had helped protect football.
"Real Madrid wishes to express its gratitude to UEFA, the confederations and federations, and all the institutions that opposed this proposal firmly and responsibly. Their unity and sense of duty have protected football at a decisive moment," the statement added.
Real Madrid argued that clubs form the backbone of international football by identifying, developing and releasing players for national teams, and therefore deserve a central role in decisions affecting the sport's commercial future.
"The World Cup and international football are, above all, events of public interest and a heritage that belongs to nations, fans and society as a whole. They must never be treated as mere financial assets to be commercialised for the benefit of a select few," the club said.
The Spanish club also rejected any attempt to sell future commercial revenues from international competitions without sharing the financial risks borne by clubs.
"It is the clubs that bear these costs, and any initiative that seeks to appropriate football's future revenues without assuming the responsibilities that generate them is unacceptable and must never be considered again," it added.
Real Madrid further drew parallels with its long-standing opposition to LaLiga's agreement with investment fund CVC, arguing that mortgaging future broadcasting revenues for decades creates a dangerous precedent for football.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino withdrew the FFE proposal after strong opposition from UEFA, Concacaf, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and several other stakeholders. The project proposed creating a commercial subsidiary to manage the commercial rights of FIFA's flagship competitions, including the World Cup, while allowing external investors to acquire an equity stake.
Infantino said the proposal had been shelved after consultations revealed it had created divisions within world football, adding that FIFA's priority remained to unite the game and support its member associations.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who follows football from the US, this is refreshing to see. We have enough problems with corporate greed in sports here (looking at you, Super League). The World Cup is a global celebration that brings nations together. It should never be treated like some stock market asset. This decision is a win for fans everywhere.
This is a great move, but let's not pretend FIFA is being noble here. They only backed down because of massive pressure. Infantino would have happily sold our football heritage if it meant more money in his pocket. The real heroes are UEFA, the AFC, and clubs like Real Madrid who stood up. But we need long-term safeguards so this never gets proposed again.
Sab kuch paisa nahi hota! (Not everything is about money!) 💯 The World Cup is sacred - it's where legends are born. Imagine if private investors controlled the World Cup and decided to change the format just for profit. Football would lose its soul. Very happy to see this proposal scrapped. Indian fans stand with Real Madrid on this one!
Interesting move by Real Madrid positioning themselves as the defender of football's purity. But let's be honest - they're also protecting their own interests here. The Super League fiasco showed they want more control and money too. That said, I agree with the principle: international football belongs to the people, not private equity firms. Sometimes the right reason comes from the wrong messenger.
As an Indian football fan, this gives me hope. We're just starting to develop our football culture, and the last thing
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