FIFAのお金問題がどんどん大きくなっている...

FIFA Considers Share Listing; Players Push Back Hard

News has emerged that FIFA is exploring a partial public stock listing. Players have responded with a forceful warning: if the plan goes ahead, they will refuse to participate in FIFA. The backlash has the potential to spiral into a full-blown crisis, and the story has quickly become one of the most talked-about issues in world football.

Infantino: The Man and the Controversy

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (ジャンニ・インファンティーノ) is known for his close relationship with former President Trump and previously drew attention through what became known as the "red card incident." Over his tenure he has consistently grown FIFA's revenues, earning a degree of credit for his business acumen. Critics, however, argue that his approach places financial value above the heart and soul of the game.

The more fundamental accusation being leveled against him is the alleged misappropriation of FIFA funds for private gain. Generating more revenue is not inherently wrong—higher income can, for example, flow through to better wages for players—but deep distrust over where the money actually ends up sits at the core of the criticism. Some observers have started to ask whether Infantino might eventually be pushed out of the presidency altogether. The hosts discussed his term structure and how much time he has left, though they acknowledged they did not have firm details on the specifics.

Match Congestion and the Tournament Proliferation Problem

Today's football calendar stacks league matches, domestic cups, European competitions, and global tournaments on top of one another, leaving players almost no room to breathe. In some stretches, players are required to compete three times in a single week, pushing physical limits beyond what is sustainable. Rather than easing that burden, FIFA has been pursuing plans to create still more new tournaments and cups to drive further revenue growth. The reaction from players and clubs has been one of mounting frustration—the sense that things have simply gone too far is now widespread on both sides.

The FIFA-UEFA Split Deepens

World football sits under FIFA (国際サッカー連盟) at the global level, with UEFA (欧州サッカー連盟) and other regional confederations—covering Asia, Africa, and beyond—operating beneath it. Relations between FIFA and UEFA have deteriorated so sharply that UEFA has now issued an explicit warning: if FIFA continues on its current business-driven trajectory, UEFA will refuse to participate in FIFA cup competitions. Without the European heavyweights—countries like France and Spain, and superstars like Mbappé—a FIFA tournament would be rendered functionally unviable. That reality gives UEFA an enormous amount of leverage, and how this standoff ultimately resolves itself is being watched closely around the world.

Japan's J.League Moves to a September Start

Japan's professional football league, the J.League (Jリーグ), has moved its season kick-off from April to September in order to align with the major European leagues and other competitions worldwide. The goal is straightforward: make it easier for Japanese players to transfer to European clubs and to schedule pre-season friendlies against overseas opposition. During the transitional period, the league was reorganized into eastern and western conferences that faced off in a special format; once that phase concluded, the revamped J.League began in earnest.

The hosts also touched on individual Japanese players. One player based in Germany appears to have remained with his club for another season. Kaoru Mitoma (三笘薫) has suffered a recurrence of the same injury at his English club and has been working through rehabilitation and training, with a return expected somewhere around September to October. Given that he also missed out on a World Cup appearance, there is a strong hope among the hosts—and no doubt among fans—for his swift return to the pitch.