"It DOESN'T Belong To Infantino!" Henry Winter SLAMS FIFA's Plan To Sell World Cup To Investors

Well, almost two weeks on from the World Cup final, and FIFA has still not managed to work out whether it will punish Argentina's violent thuggery after the final whistle.But while the wheels of justice turn very slowly at FIFA HQ, the numbers on his balance sheet seem to climb at supersonic speeds.In the short time since the last World Cup ended, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has managed to devise a radical plan to sell it off to investors.First in line for a stake would be Joshua Kushner, who is of course the brother of President Trump's son -in -law.Many of us feel uncomfortable about the sickly amount of profiteering at the World Cup that we've just watched.Hydration breaks, which themselves were sponsored, interrupted big games in air -conditioned stadiums so that US TV could show commercial breaks.

The average ticket price at the final was more than £10 ,000.Winning players got special Super Bowl -style rings, but so did anybody willing to pay thousands of dollars for their own.Even the trophy itself arrived in a gilded cage sponsored by Louis Vuitton.Now, imagine what would happen and the incentive is not just greed, but an obligation to line the pockets of stakeholders.A group of people whose sole interest is a return on their investment will have a big say on all of the ideas you hate.A World Cup every two years, another permanent expansion to include more countries I've never heard of, a paywall for top games, or the right sold off to subscription TV.

Once you've formalised a quest for profit, football itself becomes a game.an afterthought.And all of this without even speculating what might happen when the investors think a red card should be magically overturned and not just the US president.FIFA is expecting revenues of $15 billion for North American World Cup.Isn't that enough?We've all gone along for the ride as big money has changed football, but you don't need to be a communist to see the difference between monetising the existing game and and the game existing to be monetized.

The condemnation for UEFA, the second time in a month they've had to torch FIFA in public, shows how serious this is.Football is now on the brink of a civil war of its own.FIFA's only duty is to be a sentinel of a game which has always belonged to the fans, just as the players are custodians of our national pride.Selling off the World Cup should be a non -starter because it simply isn't theirs to sell.Well, joining me now is Henry Winter, host of the Football Boardroom.Henry, great to talk to you.

I can't think of many people better qualified, given your long, illustrious career as a football correspondent, than you, to talk about where we are here and the reality of what is going on at FIFA.Because it seems to me that Gianni Infantino is beginning to write checks based on ego, power and money that he shouldn't be allowed to cash.

Totally agree.He's supposed to be the custodian of the game, of the global game.The game doesn't belong to him.The World Cup doesn't belong to him.At the moment, it belongs to Rodri and that magnificent Spanish team.Subramanian and David Raya contributed in certain forms to it.

Miquel Moreno to continue the Arsenal theme.But just in terms of what it means for football, as you say, it is going to absolutely increase the number of games that are going to be played because these ventures capitalists who are coming in, and FIFA effectively allowing them to come in through the front door of subsidiary to FIFA, as you suggest.What is that then going to mean?We've seen a World Cup of interference.I mean, you know, I was out there and it was actually a really good World Cup in terms of a lot of the football and in a tense political world, which I've just been listening to you, you covering.Actually, it's quite good when nation can speak on to nation and actually go and have a sort of a drink or whatever afterwards.

But this has just it's just all about money and the thought of venture capitalists coming in togame After a tournament where we saw political interference from the White House, as you say, over the Balligan suspension of his suspension, the U .S.S.striker, where we've seen commercial interference, as you say, over the sponsored hydration breaks, this is another dangerous assault on the integrity of the game.And these venture capitalists are coming in because they want to make a profit.Well, why can't football make its own profit and actually put that money into good causes and there's absolutely no denying that uh... that the fee for foundation and also banger as well doing in really important work in developing countries in centres of excellence and all these things which is really important throughout the world and which, by the way, coincidentally, ensures that those member associations, the 211 member associations, a lot of them then go and vote to keep Gianni Infantino in power.

But if football can generate that money, why do we need venture capitalists to come in and take their own cut of it?And at some point the players are going to go, hang on a sec, with all this extra money pouring into the game, You know, we are the stars of the show.We are the ones who are putting ourselves out to play extra games.This is a point that Roger made two years ago about welfare of players and overplaying, something that the PFA, the Players' Union, and FIFA, the Global Players' Union, have made a point of.And I really think that, actually, it may well come down to the players saying, enough is enough.And a 64 -team World Cup, as you say, possibly every two years, expanded Club World Cup, if that can actually get any bigger.

then enough is enough and at some point the players, UEFA, other confederations absolutely have to take a stand as you did very eloquently in your intro.

I mean there's a really distasteful sort of form of bribery going on here where Infantino has reportedly, according to the Times report, he's told the 211 membersthey'll each get $40 million if they agree to his World Cup sell -off plan.But they only have 53 days to sign up to that proposal.He says that a funding package totaling $10 billion, about £7 .5 billion, will become available if associations sign up.But if they reject it, then their earnings will be $2 .7 billion, almost 75 % less in terms of the dollars.I mean, that's a form of bribery, isn't it, really?

This is a man who talks about the importance of democracy.Where is the democracy in that?Where is the democracy in a president actually not consulting any uh... at all of uh... of his member associations all the expert executive committee members and you've got uh... some of the confederations are complaining about the process of as well as the the content of what he's trying to deliver and remember he's he will get voted back in uh... another term of four -year office next march that takes a lot of twenty thirty one when he has to stand up and guess what job he'll probably be doing at that point period.He will be commissioner, chief executive, call it what you want, of this new multi -billion pound project plan which he has set up himself.I mean that is clearly morally wrong.I don't know where it sort of sits in employment law, but absolutely it's wrong.

And look, the game doesn't belong to Gianni Infantino.It doesn't belong to this man with this huge ego who sort of bestrode the World Cup, but actually couldn't go into some games because the fans were giving him toxic abuse.I mean, I was sitting in the press box behind the Spanish fans and I had to ask one of the Spanish journalists what they were saying about Infantino.And he said, well, I can't quite translate all of it, but it's basically not a particularly nice man.So look, the fans will protest.this season?

they'll join in for the Nations League qualifier at Wembley later next month.But he may well have got all the votes in place by then.And as you say, just trying to railroad the member associations into it without a proper democratic process just increases the contempt for him and his presidency.

The shame, I think, is that if you look at the Qatar World Cup and now the World Cup in America and Canada and Mexico, they've both been ostensibly incredibly successful.I mean, I found the Baligan incident deplorable, and we'll come to that in a moment.And I found some of the other things, you know, unedifying, as I do this latest attempt to sort of monetize off the World Cup.but from a pure footballing spectacle point of view, and I saw Renfantino in a rather emotional outburst here on social media defending himself this week, making the point there was no crowd trouble in Qatar, hardly any crowd trouble at all in this World Cup either.Those are two big pluses, particularly I think for English fans like us who are used to crowd trouble, bedeviling tournaments over the years.The football was high quality.

The top players turned up.The attendances were fantastic.Most games were a sellout.Same in Qatar.You could look at both World Cups in the round and say, very successful, well done Gianni Infantino.And it's a shame that he's going down this road, which inevitably, to me, will sully his reputation and that of FIFA.

Piers, you and I have been going into and covering World Cups for a long time, and there's always a similar rhythm when you go into World Cups.Always, there are concerns going in there, they're highlighted, and then when you actually get there, and Messi makes his first pass, and Jude Bellingham gets on the ball, and one or two of the smaller countries start writing fairytale scripts, then it absolutely is a celebration, because you have the reference points, you have the romance points, and you have the quality points.And absolutely, as you rightly say, it was a good World Cup.It was a good World Cup because a lot of the football, the right team won, Spain, fantastic.And it was good off the pitch as well.take to my grave the memory of England and Mexican fans partying after an extraordinary night at the Azteca, one of the iconic homes of football, where really the final should have been because it's a proper football country.

And yes, absolutely, a lot of things were very good.Qatar as well was a lot of very good.Just one thing I will actually say on the England fans.I haven't been in trouble with England fans at tournaments for an absolute while.And the tone was set at this tournament by the Tartan Army, drinking Boston dry, one police cop, probably a traffic cop with a cone on his head, sort of organizing the whole thing.And it was absolutely brilliant.

And I think a lot of people were celebrating that.But then, of course, Infantino has to come in.I didn't mind him having a rant against his critic.I thought it was disrespectful towards the players and the fans.And by the way, as you pointed out, the uh scandalous ticket prices for that you won't get that at the european championships okay it's probably a lesser level but uh they will be proper fans the fans won't really respect it you'll be going to games and anyone with a hire car who wanted to be to park within a mile a mile and a half of one of the stadiums had to pay 250 bucks what's that 200 quid you know just simply for for parking let alone whatever 20 times that for a ticket so look that you know there were problems with it but as you say he should be celebrating it and also on the back of it realizing this is going to be the most profitable World Cup of all time.The next World Cup, which will be in Spain and Portugal and Morocco predominantly, as well as those initial centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, that is going to make even more money.

So why should we allow some fat cats in Wall Street to take their cut as well?

Yeah, I completely agree.UEFA say they're considering boycotting future FIFA events.Do you think they mean any of that?

Are they though?I mean, it's quite a thing to say you are going to boycott the World Cup.I mean, the next World Cup is the centenary.It's also, as I say, in Spain and Portugal.It's in Europe and it should absolutely be celebrated and we should be building towards that.What an exciting event that is going to be.

But I just think one of the things that's absolutely guaranteed is that we're going to see of these venture capitalists will want to sort of generate more and more money.So, yeah, so coming back to your point about UEFA, I can't quite see them boycotting because, you know, it is still the World Cup.And that's the sadness about it.It is the great, you know, you and I are massive football nuts.And it is the biggest prize, sporting prize on earth, bigger than anything, boxing, bigger than anything at the Olympics.It's where the world stops and celebrates and just has a party and just marvels at Messi and Bellingham and all these wonderful players we're privileged to watch.

But actually, how long will that continue if Infantino messes around with it?

over the players brandishing that Falklands banner, the Malvinas inflammatory banner they grabbed from some fans and brandished it after the England game.This is among other potential breaches including discrimination, racist abuse and throwing of objects by fans.They're also opening disciplinary proceedings against Argentina over some of the players, we understand as well, for some of their activities.You know, how significant is that?Does it really matter?Argentina in the end lost.

What happens if they're convicted on all counts?Does it make much difference?

Well, it only makes a difference if there's a proper punishment and I think a substantial punishment.I mean, first on Enzo Fernandez, whose behavior he got sent off.I mean, if I was the sort of the UK government and I would just say, well, Enzo Fernandez is currently a UK taxpayer.He probably pays upwards of two million pounds a year.We're now going to earmark that money for the defense of the Falklands.We'll give it to them to see how they want to spend.

I mean, I think maybe we have to rise a little bit above above it and actually just I mean, the Argentinian behavior at the end of that game, Paredes, was two players in particular, one of whom I think actually has joined the Premier League, so he might get a lively reception, and one of the coaches.But a fine when a country is going to be making 30 -odd million pounds, probably in prize money alone, probably the Argentinians made even more than that getting to the final, a fine's absolutely pointless.I think if FIFA were really serious about clamping down on Argentinian behavior, it will say, I'm sorry, we are really going to hit you where you're hurt.and you are such a proud country, you're passionate about your football, and we're going to take away one of the centenary match away from you, which I don't think they would have the gumption to do.

Finally, Henry, it didn't come home, possibly should have come home.I mean, look at the way Argentina played in the final.We had a great chance, I think, and we slightly blew it.But is the scene being set for the ultimate where it comes home to Argentina?home with a German manager leading us to glory in our own home turf in the Euros.

Let's hope he brings on Bakayosaka at the right time because Bakayosaka was fantastic for 97 minutes in the third place game against France andbecause and they will absolutely back him.But yeah, wouldn't it be wonderful?And where's the final?Wembley?You know, maybe it's scripted.

I think it might be.

Henry Winton, great to talk to you.Thank you very much.