Just nine days into office, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has quickly won over football supporters by launching a fierce attack against FIFA's controversial plans to sell a share of the World Cup through a newly created private entity.
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Subscribe Sekarang →Writing on X on Tuesday evening, Burnham declared "Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to those who fill the stands and stand on the sidelines week in, week out, rain or shine."
He further emphasized "The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest sporting competition in the world, and it has never belonged to anyone to be sold. You can dress up the deal however you like: once you sell a part of it, you have sold everything."
According to official statements, Burnham's bold declaration arrived just three hours after UEFA released its own condemnation, stating "None of us owns football. It is not up to FIFA to sell it."
On Wednesday morning, French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo addressed the situation on France Inter, describing the initiative as "a very important project on which we have no details and which raises many questions."
With mounting pressure from political leaders and football authorities alike, the future of FIFA's commercial strategy remains shrouded in mystery and heavy financial stakes.