FIFA began the official consultation process on Tuesday, and member associations will have until Sept. 19 to decide on the proposal. FFE is “part of a democratic process, a consultation process,” Infantino said on Wednesday. “Above all, it is an opportunity but not an obligation.”
“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,” he added.
If the proposal is approved, FFE would begin operating next year, according to FIFA.
But several of FIFA’s confederations have criticized the fact that the proposal was announced publicly before the consultation process was launched.
Some critics have also argued that the proposed financial benefit through the voluntary program to member associations creates an incentive for them to accept the broader proposal.
“Today we have learned of FIFA’s deadline to associations to support their proposals or have the one-off payout offer withdrawn. This says everything you need to know about this plan,” UEFA, which represents 55 FIFA member associations, said in a Wednesday statement. FIFA said that member associations will not receive ownership stakes in FFE and that the proposed funding is not an equity allocation.