Short of a U-turn from FIFA, this is unlikely to remain only a political disagreement for long. While UEFA and FIFA have had rifts in previous years, not least between Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini and more generally over match and competition calendars, this could rank as by far the biggest in their shared history. It has all the ingredients for years of legal challenges over governance, consultation, fiduciary duties and the powers and interconnectivity of international sporting bodies. The reactions from UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF (all fair ones in my opinion) demonstrates that buying into global sport isn’t simply a financial transaction. Any investor would also be buying into regulatory uncertainty, political opposition and the risk that the competitions they invest in become the subject of prolonged governance disputes. Moreover, while sporting associations seeking funding from the private sector is by no means unheard of, much of the protest by UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC, stems from the lack of process and consultation and the level of unfettered commercialisation of FIFA competitions. 

This could unravel into something even bigger than the World Cup, if such a thought is possible.