Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter has launched a scathing attack on the world football governing body’s plans to create a $20 billion subsidiary to manage the World Cup, insisting the tournament is not a commercial asset to be controlled by a select few executives.
Blatter, who led Fifa for 17 years until 2015, argued that the proposal put forward by his successor, Gianni Infantino, would push the commercialisation of the sport too far.
“Football belongs to no individual and to no institution. It belongs to the people,” Blatter, 90, told Reuters. “If Fifa were transferred into a profit-oriented corporate structure, it would lose its soul.” He added that such a move would have been unthinkable during his own tenure.
Fifa announced on Tuesday its intention to establish the subsidiary to oversee the World Cup and other events, with plans to offer stakes of up to 20 per cent to external investors.
The proposal has already drawn a furious response from various football authorities, including European governing body Uefa, which suggested Fifa was effectively putting the game up for sale.
Blatter has frequently found himself at odds with Infantino, a fellow Swiss who took the helm of Fifa in 2016 following a corruption scandal that ended Blatter’s presidency. Blatter was later cleared of corruption charges.
He has previously criticised the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia and the expansion of this year’s tournament to 48 teams.
“The Fifa World Cup is not a commercial asset that belongs to a handful of executives,” Mr Blatter reiterated. “It is part of the cultural heritage of world football. Fifa is the guardian of the World Cup, not its owner. There is a fundamental difference.”
He contended that investors seeking influence and profits were at odds with associations that prioritise the interests of their members, highlighting that the game’s enduring connection to the public has sustained it for over a century.
“That principle should never change,” Blatter stated.
According to Blatter, the true foundations of football lie with clubs, players, coaches, referees, and fans, with Fifa’s role being to administer the sport, organise competitions, and redistribute income.
“The beneficiaries should be the game itself — from grassroots football to the highest international level — not outside investors seeking returns,” he concluded.
