CONMEBOL opposition as FIFA drops commercial plan

In late July 2026 CONMEBOL opened a consultation with its ten member associations on FIFA’s proposal to create a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would sell a 20 % stake valued at about $20 billion. The South American confederation, led by President Alejandro Domínguez, asked for details on the project’s scope, governance and impact before deciding how to vote.

A week later its council in Luque, Paraguay, voted to reject the proposal, condemning what it described as repeated unilateral actions by FIFA and calling for dialogue and adherence to established mechanisms.

On 6 August 2026 FIFA announced the creation of the commercial vehicle, but after strong opposition from UEFA, CONMEBOL, CAF, CONCACAF and other confederations, the federation withdrew the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan. CONMEBOL issued a statement praising the respect for institutional governance, reiterated its criticism of unilateral moves, and scheduled a council meeting to set a collective stance ahead of the 18 November 2026 FIFA presidential election deadline. The episode traces the confederation’s shift from cautious consultation to outright rejection and, ultimately, to a vindication of its governance concerns as the plan was abandoned.