Veteran administrator Tony James says FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to privatise world football is “underhanded”, but cautions that developing nations under severe financial stress will find the promised US$40-million payout nearly impossible to resist.

James, who led the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) from 1985 to 1992 and has spent over 50 years working in football, offered a sharp critique of Infantino’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). Under the plan, FIFA aims to create a private commercial entity valued at US$20 billion (over $3 billion) to handle broadcasting, ticketing, sponsorship, and hospitality rights for competitions like the World Cup. Developed alongside JP Morgan, the strategy involves selling up to 21 per cent to private equity investors — led by Joshua Kushner’s firm, Thrive Eternal — to raise US$4.2 billion (roughly $665 billion) in upfront capital. Kushner is the brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

To win over member nations, FIFA offered a substantial payout of increasing baseline development funding from US$10 million (over $1.5 billion) to US$20 million (over $3 billion) per nation for the 2027-2030 cycle. Associations could also access an additional US$20 million upfront through a new FIFA Fast Forward Programme for infrastructure, putting up to US$40 million on the table per country ahead of a September 19 deadline. Infantino, however, warned that member nations declining support would continue to receive the baseline.