FIFA has abandoned its controversial plan to sell minority stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors after facing a threatened boycott from major football confederations across three continents.
We previously reported that European nations had agreed to a boycott of the tournament over the proposal.
UEFA’s 55 member nations unanimously agreed to withdraw from the World Cup and all FIFA competitions if the plan went ahead, with the 41-member CONCACAF and 47-member Asian Football Confederation soon joining in opposition.
Infantino’s $4.2 billion plan collapses under pressure
The proposal, spearheaded by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, aimed to create a $20 billion commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise.
It would have sold up to a 20% stake to outside investors to raise as much as $4.2 billion.
UEFA argued the World Cup “cannot be treated as an investment product” and had to remain independent of private equity interests.
Facing unified opposition, Infantino confirmed in a statement that the project would not proceed.
“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. “Our purpose has always been, and will always be, to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
He added that his intent moving forward is “to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks… to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.”
UEFA responds to the reversal
UEFA welcomed the decision but did not hold back in its criticism of Infantino and FIFA’s leadership.
“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” the governing body said, calling the proposal a “shabby, back room, opaque deal.”
UEFA pointed to comments Infantino made when seeking election as FIFA president in 2016, when he pledged transparency and told member associations “the money of FIFA is your money… it has to serve for the development of football and not for anything else.”
They argued he had failed to deliver on both promises, noting FIFA’s reserves stand at over $5 billion that has gone unused for the benefit of the game.
The body said it would now work with confederations worldwide to propose a new way of distributing FIFA’s resources through the existing FIFA Forward programme.
“This is a victory for the whole game,” UEFA added. “But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in FIFA has only just begun.”
Infantino now faces mounting pressure ahead of the FIFA presidential elections in March 2027, with several association heads, fan groups and political figures calling for his resignation over the failed proposal.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
