This week, FIFA announced a consultation on plans to sell minority stakes in a new commercial subsidiary to private investors. The subsidiary would have control over the organisation’s commercial rights, as well as operational delivery of the World Cup (among other tournaments). Figures such as Prime Minister Andy Burnham have condemned the proposal as an attempt to "sell" football.

In response, UEFA arranged an emergency meeting on Thursday, where its member nations voted to boycott the World Cup if FIFA's plans come to pass. New quick-turnaround polling from YouGov Surveys shows that three in four Britons would support withdrawing European teams from international football's marquee event (73%). 

This rises to some 87% of football fans (Britons who describe themselves as "very" or "fairly" interested in football).

Most of the public oppose FIFA’s plans to sell stakes in a new subsidiary

We also asked the public about FIFA’s plans to create a new subsidiary which will offer minority stakes to private investors. Seven in ten Britons (69%) are against these plans, while 4% say they are in favour.

Opposition rises to eight in ten among football fans, (82%), with support for the proposal sitting at 6% among this group.

FIFA, for its part, has refuted claims that it is “selling” football and says that its consultation process has been disrupted by “incorrect media reports”. CONCACAF and AFC, the governing bodies for North American and Asian football respectively, have not agreed to a full boycott, but have joined UEFA in criticising FIFA’s proposal.

As of this writing, FIFA intends to continue its consultation on plans to seek outside investment in a new commercial subsidiary. It has set a deadline of 19 September for football federations to accept or reject these plans.

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Methodology

YouGov Surveys: Self-Serve provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on 30-31 July 2026 with a nationally representative sample of 2,005 adults (aged 16+ years) in Great Britain, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, region and social grade to be representative of all adults in Great Britain (16 years or older) and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.

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