Australian players' union slams FIFA plan, says World Cup should not be for sale

July 30 : Australia's players union on Thursday joined criticism of FIFA's plan to bring private investors into soccer's World Cup and other events, saying the governing body is putting pressure on member associations to wave it through despite the proposal sidelining the athletes and fans who generate the value of the tournaments.

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) said the game was confronting a battle for its soul as commercial interests seek more influence over its pinnacle 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 scathing 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 echo the criticism of FIFPRO, the global players union, which warned this week the proposal would irreversibly reshape the incentives underpinning the competitions in which players work and build careers. 

FIFA's plan to create a $20 billion subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other events includes offering minority stakes to private investors to raise up to $4.2 billion and the promise of a significant funding boost for member associations.

Most of the sport's regional confederations and a slew of national associations said they were blindsided by it, though only Europe's governing body UEFA has rejected it outright.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a video on Wednesday its proposal was not an obligation and had