SOCCER: Australian players' union slams FIFA World Cup plan

Australia's players union on Thursday criticized FIFA's plan to bring private investors into soccer's World Cup and other major events, saying the proposal sidelines players and fans who create the value behind the tournaments.

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) said soccer was facing a battle over its future as commercial interests seek greater influence over the sport's biggest competitions.

"The PFA is disturbed by the lack of transparency surrounding the proposal and the absence of meaningful consultation with those that generate the value that FIFA is seeking to exploit - the players and the fans," the union said in a statement.

"At a time when football desperately requires greater transparency, accountability and good governance, proposals of this significance raise questions about who the game is run by and in whose interests.

"These tournaments should not be for sale."

The PFA's comments followed similar concerns raised by FIFPRO, the global players union, which warned that FIFA's proposal could permanently change the incentives and structures surrounding competitions where players build their careers.

FIFA's plan involves creating a $20 billion subsidiary to oversee the World Cup and other events, with minority stakes offered to private investors to raise up to $4.2 billion. The proposal also promises increased funding for member associations.

Several regional confederations and national associations said they were surprised by the plan, although only Europe's governing body UEFA has rejected it outright.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday that the proposal was not mandatory and that a consultation process had only begun.

Infantino offered member associations $40 million each if they approved the proposal by September 19, as part of a $10 billion funding package expected to become available from January 1, 2027. If the plan is rejected, funding would return to the previously offered $2.7 billion package, equivalent to about $10 million per member association.

The PFA raised concerns about the timeline for decision-making.

"We are equally concerned about the pressure being placed on Member Associations, including Football Australia, to expeditiously consider this proposal when it will have profound and irreversible consequences for the ownership and governance of football's premier competitions," the union said.

Football Australia declined to take a position on the proposal, saying it had requested more details from FIFA to assess its strategic, commercial and governance implications.

FIFA plans to submit the proposal for a vote among its 211 member associations before taking it to its executive council.

Despite UEFA's opposition, the 55-member European bloc remains divided, with Czech Football Association President David Trunda saying he could see a "positive impact" from FIFA's plans.

The African football confederation's executive committee is expected to discuss the proposal next week, while South American governing body CONMEBOL and the Oceania Football Confederation have not publicly commented. -Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Lincoln Feast./Reuters