FIFA responded to criticism surrounding the creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), assuring that the organization is not selling off football or relinquishing control of its major competitions. The new subsidiary aims to manage and strengthen the organization's commercial operations with the support of external investment, although FIFA will retain absolute control over governance, regulations, the international calendar, and the organization of tournaments like the World Cup.

The organization explained that the project seeks to increase resources allocated to football development within its 211 member associations. If the initiative is approved, each federation would receive an additional $20 million for special projects, along with an increase in FIFA Forward program funds for the 2027-2030, 2031-2034, and 2035-2038 cycles, with the goal of exceeding $10 billion in funding for global sports development.

The proposal has faced strong opposition from UEFA and other confederations, who believe that private capital involvement could compromise the independence of international football. Some organizations have even raised the possibility of not participating in future FIFA competitions if the project moves forward. In light of this scenario, the federation insisted that the model will be submitted for democratic approval by its member associations and reiterated that "no one is selling football," but rather the aim is to generate greater revenue to reinvest in the sport's growth.