The European Union has publicly opposed FIFA's plans to sell a stake in its competitions, including the World Cup, warning the governing body to "Hands off our game."

• The EU executive will carefully study FIFA's proposals, which involve creating a semi-private subsidiary for business operations.
• The main criticism comes from EU sports chief Glenn Micallef, who expressed concern over the "relentless commercialisation of football."
• Micallef highlighted that the plans raise "important competition law considerations," especially regarding the alignment of FIFA's regulatory powers with private financial interests and potential conflicts of interest.