Czech FA president backs Infantino's $20bn World Cup sale plan

The president of the Czech Republic's football association has welcomed FIFA's bombshell plan to sell stakes in the World Cup's commercial rights - an endorsement which could complicate any move by the European body UEFA to boycott future global events.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News, David Trunda, who was elected to the post last year, said the $20bn plot would provide valuable additional funding to support grassroots football and infrastructure development in the country.

"I can see the pragmatic benefits for Czech football from working in close co-operation with [FIFA president] Gianni Infantino and his team," Mr Trunda said.

Money latest: Why Heathrow fares are set to rise

"Of course we need more details, but my personal point of view is that I can see the positive impact of FIFA's intentions."

FIFA's 211 member associations have been promised windfalls of $40m each if they sign up to Mr Infantino's proposal to spin off its commercial rights into a new corporate entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise.

It emerged on Wednesday morning, however, that unless associations agree to the plan by 19 September, they stand to receive only a fraction of that sum.

One football figure described that dynamic to The Times as "pure bribery".

Amid the tsunami of opposition to FIFA's plans, few senior figures in football have spoken out in support, making Mr Trunda an outlier to this point.

The Czech Republic FA is among UEFA's members, and Mr Trunda described the European governing body as "a very important partner".

"I was elected a little more than a year ago, and for me personally all the projects I have experienced in cooperation with FIFA have been very positive for the development of European football."

He added that the executive committee of the Czech FA would discuss the proposals formally at a meeting on August 11.

The Czech Republic finished bottom of Group A at the recent World Cup, having drawn with South Africa and lost to South Korea and co-hosts Mexico.

The emergence of Mr Infantino's plan has sent shockwaves through the football world, with UEFA and the North American confederation, Concacaf, expressing outrage.

The English FA said it was "deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance to get to this point, and the apparent substance and principles involved".

"When the proposal is shared in the full and transparent way now promised by FIFA, we will make our views clear, and comment further."

UEFA said the plan "crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross".

"The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade - especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially.

"None of us are the owners of football: it is not FIFA's to sell," it added.

Investment bankers at JPMorgan are advising FIFA on the plan, with over $4bn of equity in the new venture to be sold to external investors.

Following a string of controversies at the World Cup surrounding Mr Infantino's relationship with President Donald Trump, FIFA has sparked further outrage by lining up Thrive Capital - an investment firm run by Joshua Kushner, brother of the President's son-in-law, Jarrod - as the lead backer of the deal.

Mr Infantino told FIFA members that the new entity "will be fully focused on one target objective; generating as much value as possible for FIFA's Member Associations".

Sky News's sports correspondent, Rob Harris, pointed out that Mr Infantino's personal financial gain from the initiative had not been disclosed by FIFA.

(c) Sky News 2026: Czech FA president backs Infantino's $20bn World Cup sale plan