Infantino confirms U15 World Cup with all 211 FIFA nations despite controversy

Gianni Infantino has officially confirmed the organization of an under-15 World Cup bringing together all 211 FIFA member associations, scheduled for this year. The president of world football’s governing body announced the project in a video, just weeks after abandoning his ambitious plan for partial privatization of FIFA.

Dubbed FIFA Forward Enterprise, the first project aimed to allow private investors to take a stake in the organization’s commercial activities. Facing criticism from several major confederations, it was abandoned in early August. Infantino, however, was quick to move on to something else.

The new U15 World Cup would be inspired by baseball’s Little League World Series, taking the form of a large-scale football festival. “We are going to organize now, this year, for the first time, the under-15 World Cup, where all 211 FIFA countries are invited. A celebration of youth, where more than 4,000 children play football together,” Infantino said. Discussions have reportedly already been held with private investors to develop and commercialize the concept.

The scale of the project — 211 participating nations, thousands of children mobilized — is bound to raise questions about its logistical feasibility and the economic model envisioned. FIFA has so far communicated neither the host country nor the precise schedule of the competition.