FIFA backs Nasser al-Khelaïfi after beIN Sports lands 2026 and 2030 World Cup rights | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, FIFA moved to defend Nasser al-Khelaïfi after awarding the 2026 and 2030 World Cup rights to beIN Sports over Ligue1+, rejecting conflict-of-interest claims.

Ligue1+ was close to a 2026 deal with FIFA for the United States, Canada and Mexico worth nearly 20 million euros, 17 million in rights and 2.5 million in production. It targeted summer programming and 200,000 new sign-ups while retaining 1.2 million existing users.

FIFA chose beIN at the last minute, despite having already sent a contract to Ligue1+ that the LFP board approved and returned to the vendor. In response, LFP Media chief executive Nicolas de Tavernost is close to resigning and told an emergency board he could not continue effectively.

A FIFA source said the process followed the rules, called beIN a long-standing, trusted partner, and said the choice was purely commercial, with the most advantageous offer. The report said beIN ultimately offered about 60 million euros, roughly 27 million this summer and 34 million in four years.

The source added that al-Khelaïfi was not involved, with all interactions handled by Yousef Al-Obaidly of beIN Sports France. It also said FIFA never signed or announced any agreement with Ligue1+, and described the furore in France as a standard media-rights process.

Source: L'Équipe