Infantino Scraps Plan to Sell FIFA Competition Stakes After Global Backlash
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has abandoned a controversial proposal to allow private investors to buy stakes in some of football’s biggest competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, following strong opposition from football bodies around the world.
Infantino said the plan had created divisions within the football community and was no longer serving its original purpose.
“As a result, this proposal will not proceed,” the FIFA president said.
The proposal had offered FIFA’s 211 member associations up to $40 million in funding if they supported the plan to bring private investment into FIFA’s major tournaments.
However, the idea faced immediate resistance, particularly from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), who raised concerns over the impact of private ownership on football’s future and governance.
UEFA’s 55 member associations had voted to boycott future World Cups if the plan went ahead, while CONCACAF also rejected the proposal. The AFC later expressed solidarity with both bodies, making it increasingly unlikely that Infantino would secure the required support.
A FIFA-backed proposal needed approval from at least 106 of FIFA’s 211 members. With UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC collectively representing more than that number of votes, the plan appeared unlikely to succeed.
The proposal involved creating a commercial subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would allow external investors to take minority, non-controlling stakes in FIFA’s major events.
A document prepared by investment bank JP Morgan suggested the move could help FIFA increase revenues and expand financial support to member associations. However, critics argued that it could put too much influence over football’s biggest competitions in private hands.
The backlash also caused internal disagreements within FIFA. Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance, resigned, describing the proposal as “a bad deal for football” that could “mortgage football’s future.”
FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour also criticised the project, saying the organisation’s administration had been “deceived” and describing it as a move driven by one individual rather than a collective decision.
The controversy comes at a difficult time for Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term as FIFA president at the organisation’s congress in Morocco next March.
Following the withdrawal of the plan, Infantino said he would focus on bringing football stakeholders together and returning to a spirit of cooperation.
“The purpose has always been — and always will be — to unite and improve,” he said.
The failed proposal marks one of the biggest challenges of Infantino’s FIFA presidency since he took office in 2016 and raises questions over whether some football associations that had previously supported him will maintain their backing ahead of the upcoming election.
