FIFA President Gianni Infantino has withdrawn his controversial proposal to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup’s commercial rights following strong opposition from football governing bodies, senior FIFA officials and several member associations.
The decision, announced on Friday, ends plans to establish a $20 billion commercial company that would have managed the World Cup and other FIFA competitions with private investors holding a minority stake.
In a statement, Infantino acknowledged that the proposal had become too divisive to continue.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” he said.
The proposal, unveiled earlier in the week, had sparked widespread criticism across world football. It sought to spin off FIFA’s commercial assets, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups—into a separate company valued at $20 billion, with private investors acquiring a 20 percent stake.
Among the reported investors was a New York-based investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The backlash intensified after Carlos Cordeiro, a senior FIFA adviser and former president of the United States Soccer Federation, resigned in protest, saying he could not support the sale of a stake in the World Cup.
FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour also publicly criticised the initiative, alleging that senior staff had not been fully informed about the proposal and describing it as the project of one individual rather than the organisation.
Opposition also came from UEFA, whose 55 member associations threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, including the upcoming FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland, if the proposal proceeded.
In a strongly worded statement, UEFA argued that football’s premier competition should not be commercialised through private ownership, insisting that “some things are simply too important to sell.”
Read also:
- FIFA Football ‘Not for Sale’ Infantino Insists On Investment Plan Amid Growing Opposition
- WAFCON 2026 Shocker: Malawi Stun Super Falcons 3-2 in Five-Goal Thriller, Nigeria’s Title Defence in Trouble
- Arsenal Close In On Newcastle Captain Bruno Guimaraes
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also voiced their opposition, adding further pressure on FIFA to abandon the plan.
Following the reversal, Infantino said he intends to engage stakeholders in fresh discussions aimed at strengthening football development worldwide.
“Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support,” he said.
The abandoned proposal has been viewed as one of the biggest setbacks of Infantino’s presidency and could influence the political landscape ahead of FIFA’s next presidential election, scheduled to take place in Rabat, Morocco, in March 2027.
