FIFA's plan to sell shares of its competitions to private investors has attracted much criticism, but the African continent still appears not to take sides.
Why Africa could support the controversial FIFA plan
Why it matters
FIFA's plan to sell shares of its competitions to private investors could have a significant impact on African football. African federations, among the poorest in the world, could benefit from more revenue, but there are fears about the integrity of the competitions. The CAF's position is crucial, as it could influence the future of FIFA competitions and their economic sustainability in Africa.
Context
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) plays a key role in determining how African football positions itself in relation to FIFA decisions. With African federations receiving only a fraction of FIFA's total revenue, CAF must carefully consider how to maximize benefits for the continent, especially in a context of growing pressure from other confederations.
Key points
- Why Africa could support the controversial FIFA plan.
- FIFA's plan to sell shares of its competitions to private investors has attracted much criticism, but the African continent still appears not to take sides.
- Why Africa could back controversial Fifa plan.
FIFA's plan to sell shares of its competitions to private investors has attracted much criticism, but the African continent still appears not to take sides.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not yet expressed a clear position on FIFA's plan, which includes the possibility of selling shares to private investors to generate more revenue for the world football federation and national federations.
However, the plan has met with strong opposition from continental federations, particularly European ones, who fear that the sale of shares could compromise the integrity of FIFA competitions, such as the World Cup and the club tournament that FIFA will launch in 2025.
UEFA has even threatened not to allow its teams to participate in FIFA tournaments if the plan goes ahead.
But why has the CAF not yet expressed its opinion on this very controversial issue?
One hypothesis is that CAF is waiting to understand how and how much it could earn from FIFA's plan, given that African federations are the poorest in the world and need every extra penny to support their activities.
According to a report published by FIFA, African federations received approximately $360 million from FIFA in the period 2019-2022, or approximately $1 million for each football association on the continent.
But if we consider that the total amount of FIFA revenue for the four-year period 2019-2022 was 7.5 billion dollars, we understand that Africa received a negligible percentage of FIFA's total revenue.
It is estimated that, thanks to FIFA's new revenue plans, which include the sale of shares to private investors, revenue for individual national federations could double in the four-year period 2025-2028, going from $1 million to $2 million per football association.
If this were true, CAF could decide to support FIFA's controversial plan, even at the cost of going against other confederations, particularly the European one, which has declared itself clearly against any type of quota sale by FIFA.
According to another interpretation, the CAF may simply not have taken a clear position on the FIFA plan due to the fact that African football associations are very divided internally regarding this issue.
Some federations, such as the Nigerian one, have already expressed their support for the FIFA plan, while others, such as the South African one, have said they are against the FIFA plan.
At this moment, therefore, there is great confusion within the CAF regarding this issue, and it is thought that the CAF wants to wait some time to see how the national federations will line up regarding this issue, before taking an official and public position.
What happens now
CAF may soon reveal its position on FIFA's plan, weighing the potential economic benefits against the risks to the integrity of football. If CAF decides to support the plan, it could lead to an increase in resources for African federations. However, if the European federations continue to oppose it, the situation could become further complicated, affecting future international competitions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does FIFA's plan include?
FIFA's plan involves selling shares of its competitions to private investors to generate more revenue for the world football federation and national federations.
Who hasn't yet expressed a position on FIFA's plan?
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not yet expressed a clear position on FIFA's plan.
Why might CAF be interested in FIFA's plan?
CAF may be interested in FIFA's plan to understand how and how much it could earn, given that African federations are among the poorest in the world and need more revenue.
What are the concerns of the European federations regarding FIFA's plan?
European federations fear that the sale of shares could compromise the integrity of FIFA competitions, such as the World Cup and the 2025 club tournament.
What is the current FIFA revenue situation for African federations?
From 2019 to 2022, African federations received approximately $360 million from FIFA, a paltry percentage compared to their total revenue of $7.5 billion.
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