UEFA, AFC push back on FIFA plan to sell World Cup stakes
What's next: FIFA set a Sept. 19 deadline for members to back the plan, with up to $40 million promised to each association.
FIFA faced widening resistance after UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation criticized a plan to sell minority stakes in a new commercial unit that would run major tournaments, including the World Cup. FIFA said the subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, would seek long-term investors while FIFA kept control over governance, competition rules and the match calendar. UEFA accused FIFA of treating the sport as an asset to trade, while the AFC said it had not been consulted before the proposal went public. FIFA President Gianni Infantino wrote to all 211 member associations offering up to $40 million if they support the plan, including an initial $20 million available from Jan. 1 for those that respond by Sept. 19.