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Having already alienated every UEFA member nation, FIFA president Gianni Infantino can now count Real Madrid among his growing list of powerful critics.
Europe's most decorated club added their considerable influence to the wave of public sentiment building against Infantino this week. Following reports from The Times and Financial Times on Tuesday that exposed a scheme to sell stakes in the commercial rights of FIFA's premier competitions — including the men's and women's World Cups — FIFA and Infantino have been scrambling to control the narrative.
Despite dangling millions of dollars before each national association in exchange for their backing, Infantino was compelled to abandon his proposal amid a fierce backlash, led by all UEFA members — European soccer's governing body — who collectively agreed to boycott future FIFA tournaments.
Real Madrid became the first high-profile club to publicly state their position, "warmly welcoming" the decision to shelve the plan in a pointed statement: "Our club believes this is good news for football, for its governing bodies and, above all, for the millions of fans of our beloved sport.
"Real Madrid wishes to extend its gratitude to UEFA, the confederations and federations, and all institutions that firmly and responsibly opposed this proposal. Their solidarity and sense of duty have safeguarded football at a critical moment."
"... International football and the World Cup are, first and foremost, events of public interest," the statement continued, "and they represent a legacy that belongs to nations, fans, and society at large. We therefore maintain that they must never be reduced to mere financial commodities to be exploited for the gain of a privileged few.
"Real Madrid strongly opposes any effort to sell future commercial revenues from these competitions without taking on any of the associated costs or risks in return. It is the clubs that shoulder these burdens, and any initiative that seeks to claim football's future revenues without accepting the responsibilities that produce them is unacceptable and must never be entertained again."
As commendable as Real Madrid's position may have been, it was not delivered without a subtle nod toward the club's own interests.
Real Madrid Use Infantino Statement for Jibe at La Liga
Never ones to pass up a chance to take a swipe at a rival, Real Madrid closed their statement by casting La Liga in the same unflattering light as Infantino.
"This is, moreover, the very same principle that Real Madrid has consistently defended at the domestic level," the Spanish giants added. "Our club opposed and refused to participate in the deal whereby La Liga pledged a percentage of clubs' future broadcasting revenues for 50 years in exchange for investment from a private fund such as CVC."
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In the summer of 2021, Spain's top division agreed to sell 8.2% of the league's broadcasting and sponsorship income through to 2071 for nearly $2.2 billion. Madrid firmly rejected the proposal, which was passed by 37 of Spain's 42 professional clubs at the time, with club president Florentino Pérez accusing the league of "attacking the club's financial wealth." Madrid took La Liga to court and lost their appeal challenging the deal's legality, but ultimately succeeded in being excluded from its terms.
"Mortgaging for half a century revenue that belongs to the clubs, who bear all the costs and risks, sets a precedent that football must not repeat, whether domestically or on the international stage," Madrid declared.