FIFA tested investor-backed model for 211-team youth World Cup
FIFA explored private investment and a long-term commercial model for a global Under-15 tournament featuring all 211 member associations before dropping the proposed structure ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
According to a report in The Athletic, FIFA held talks with private investors over commercialising a global Under-15 tournament involving all 211 member associations, with proposals built around broadcast reach, sponsorship growth and a long-term rights business.The concept was developed as a football equivalent of baseball’s Little League World Series and would initially have featured boys only. FIFA ultimately chose not to proceed with the proposed external investment structure before the 2026 men’s World Cup.FIFA president Gianni Infantino said when the tournament was first announced in December 2025: “We have been very active in promoting youth competitions and development, and this is a natural next step, and a very joyous one.”One proposal was developed by former Mexico Football Federation commissioner Juan Carlos Rodríguez with backing from Eldridge Industries, the investment group founded and chaired by Chelsea chairman and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly.The plans included staging the competition at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, with ESPN potentially broadcasting the tournament in the US. Opening and closing ceremonies at Disney theme parks were among the options considered.The proposed format would have placed the 211 national teams into 32 groups of six or seven, creating an unusually large global youth event and giving FIFA a competition capable of generating local interest even in markets that rarely qualify for senior World Cups.Investors were prepared to prioritise audience development over immediate media-rights income, according to people familiar with the plans. Broadcasters could initially have received rights without paying a fee, allowing FIFA and its partners to build reach before seeking larger sponsorship and rights revenues.The commercial thesis centred on developing the competition over decades rather than delivering an immediate return. Markets without regular senior World Cup participation were viewed as having particular potential to support valuable domestic rights and sponsorship packages.The project also emerged while FIFA was considering a broader restructuring of its commercial operations that could have involved external investors taking a minority stake in a new entity housing commercial and event assets. FIFA later abandoned those plans following opposition.Azerbaijan was subsequently selected to host the Under-15 competition after FIFA’s Bureau of the Council approved Baku on June 24. The governing body cited the country’s sporting infrastructure and ability to accommodate thousands of players and support staff in a centralised location.The tournament remains part of FIFA’s youth competition strategy, with the first edition planned for boys and a girls’ competition scheduled to follow in 2027, but the external investment model considered during the earlier talks has not been adopted.