FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended a proposal to create a private subsidiary to generate greater commercial returns from football’s biggest competitions, describing the plan as “an opportunity but not an obligation”.

The proposal, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), has attracted widespread disbelief and outrage since details emerged on Tuesday.

Infantino said the initiative was designed to unlock commercial value that FIFA currently does not capture and insisted that its introduction would depend on approval through FIFA’s governing structures.

“FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, is actually a proposal, an offer. It’s part of a democratic process – a consultation process – and, above all, it is an opportunity but not an obligation,” Infantino said in a video released Wednesday evening.

“It is a golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally. But again, it is just an offer, not an obligation.”

The FIFA president said the plan was intended to increase the financial benefits flowing through football and ensure more of the game’s commercial value could reach areas where it is most needed.

At the centre of the proposal is the idea of exploiting what Infantino described as “previously uncaptured commercial value”.

He stressed that FIFA could not implement the initiative unilaterally, saying it would first have to go through a democratic process involving the organisation’s 211 member associations.

The proposal would also require approval from the FIFA council before it could move forward.

Infantino said the additional commercial activity would require skills and knowledge separate from FIFA’s traditional role of governing and developing the sport.

“Capturing that value requires additional expertise, additional insight, distinct from governing and developing the sport,” he said.

Under the proposal, the subsidiary would focus on FIFA-owned competitions as well as commercial areas including sponsorship, broadcasting and licensing. Infantino also referred to the possibility of developing new ventures.

“It would simply commercialise and organise all FIFA-owned competitions along with sponsorship, broadcast, licensing and new ventures for the benefit of FIFA’s 211 member associations.”

The proposal has generated a strong reaction since it became public, with the prospect of selling stakes in FIFA’s major competitions prompting disbelief and outrage around the world.

Infantino’s response has been to stress that FFE remains a proposal rather than a compulsory change to FIFA’s structure or competitions.

He said the initiative would not alter the nature of the game and argued that supporters around the world would ultimately benefit if the plan were approved.

According to Infantino, the additional commercial opportunities could provide greater resources for football development in different countries.

The FIFA president also rejected the suggestion that the proposal should be viewed as an obligation for member associations. Instead, he presented it as an opportunity for them to consider through the consultation and voting process.

“Fans from everywhere in the world would gain immeasurably from this game-changing potential because it will transform football in their countries,” he said.

The next stage will therefore depend on FIFA’s democratic process, with the organisation’s 211 member associations having a role in determining whether the proposal proceeds.

Infantino’s defence comes as FIFA faces global scrutiny over the plan, which would seek to extract more commercial value from competitions under the organisation’s ownership.

While the proposal has prompted controversy, the FIFA president maintains that its purpose is to increase football’s commercial potential and direct the resulting benefits towards the game’s development around the world.

For now, however, FFE remains an offer rather than an obligation, with its future dependent on the required approvals from FIFA’s member associations and council.