FIFA Forward Enterprise project: "Football should never have been placed in such a position" (AFC)

"The AFC stands in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF in expressing serious concerns over FIFA’s proposal to introduce private investment into FIFA’s flagship competitions and the decision-making process around FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The fact that the situation has reached the point where the real possibility of a FIFA World Cup boycott has entered public discourse should concern everyone who cares about the future of our game. Football should never have been placed in such a position," the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on 31 July 2026.

FIFA announced on 28 July its plan to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial company open to private investors to manage its commercial and event operations. The entity "would raise up to $4.2bn (€3.7bn) later this year to fund the…