FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that the creation of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) subsidiary represents a golden opportunity to greatly increase the development of football around the world.

Emphasising that the project was still in the consultation stage and that nothing had been decided, Mr Infantino said it would lead to increased investment in football pitches, stronger national teams and more plentiful opportunities for young players – women's and men's – around the world to develop their careers.

In accordance with its mandate, the FIFA administration is exploring the concept of bringing together FIFA’s commercial rights – spanning broadcast, sponsorship, licensing, ticketing, hospitality and new ventures – with the operational delivery of FIFA tournaments through the creation of FFE.

If approved, FIFA Forward funding would rise from USD 8 million per Member Association (MA) under the 2023-26 cycle to USD 20 million for 2027-2030, totalling over USD 4 billion across all 211 MAs, thanks to the additional commercial revenue FFE is projected to generate. Each MA would also have the option to access a further USD 20 million through the FIFA Fast Forward Programme, taking the potential total funding to USD 40 million per MA for the 2027-2030 cycle.

“(FFE) would simply commercialise and organise all FIFA-owned competitions along with sponsorship, broadcast, licensing and new ventures for the benefit of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations; however, unlocking previously uncaptured commercial value,” Mr Infantino said, as he laid out the details of the proposal.

“More revenue returned to the Member Associations means more investment in better pitches, stronger national teams, and more pathways for young girls and young boys everywhere in the world.”

The FIFA President emphasised that the proposal would only proceed with the approval of the MAs. “It’s part of a democratic process – a consultation process – and, above all, it is an opportunity but not an obligation, and, as I said, it kicks off the consultation process,” he said. “If, and only if, it is approved by the majority of our 211 Member Associations and the FIFA Council, it would be a FIFA-owned and controlled subsidiary consolidating FIFA’s commercial and event operations.” 

Concretely, the FFE consultation phase, which began on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, will continue over the next seven weeks. Mr Infantino has invited FIFA’s 211 MAs to address any questions and ideas throughout that period before they are asked to democratically decide if the proposal moves forward. 

FIFA’s revenues have grown exponentially under Mr Infantino’s 10-year leadership and, in March 2026, the FIFA Council approved the unanimous approval of the Annual Report 2025, including a record-breaking revenue budget of USD 14 billion foreseen for the 2027-2030 cycle. However, the FIFA President said that there was still far more unfulfilled potential.

“Too little of football’s growing commercial value reaches the parts of the game that need it most. Capturing that value requires additional expertise, additional insight, distinct from governing and developing the sport. It is a golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally,” he said.

The creation of FFE would be the next logical step in the transformation of FIFA which began when Mr Infantino was elected in February 2016, and has already provided MAs with more playing opportunities and record levels of investment.

“Our job is to make sure that the rest of the football world is not left behind and grows with it. There is a real commercial value in our game that we are not yet capturing, and unlocking it needs a focused, dedicated business,” the FIFA President said.

He added that other sporting organisations, including domestic football leagues in Europe, had taken the same steps with great success. “None of them have looked back,” he said.

“FIFA has invested in football in parts of the world that everyone else ignored and we have shown what is possible. If your federation wants to move faster on a specific project or activity – a stadium, a training centre, whatever your specific association needs – the brand-new FIFA Fast Forward Programme gives you the option to unlock up to USD 20 million more, and immediately.”

As far as fans – the heart and soul of FIFA tournaments – are concerned, everything would stay the same. “The fans remain the cornerstone of the beautiful game, and the sport they watch and love will not change,” the FIFA President said. “FIFA obviously continues to govern football without any external interference. And the flagship tournament it organises, like the FIFA World Cup or the FIFA Women's World Cup, will always remain.”