FIFA drops controversial World Cup investment plan after global backlash

Quick Read FIFA had insisted on Friday it would press ahead, claiming “nobody is selling football”, but Infantino ultimately conceded he needed the backing of at least 106 of 211 members to pass the measure, a threshold that became impossible once the AFC joined the opposition bloc. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has scrapped a divisive proposal to sell stakes in the governing body’s flagship competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, following widespread pushback from across global football. Infantino, who has led FIFA since February 2016, confirmed the decision in a statement, saying the initiative had “created divisions” that ran counter to its original purpose, adding simply: “As a result, this proposal will not proceed.” Under the abandoned plan, all 211 national member associations would have received $40 million (£30 million) in exchange for supporting private investment in FIFA’s major tournaments. Opposition to the proposal escalated sharply in recent days, with UEFA, representing 55 European nations, voting on Thursday to boycott future World Cups if the plans moved forward. CONCACAF, the confederation that hosted the 2026 World Cup, confirmed its members had “rejected” the proposal, with sources reporting most associations in the region have lost confidence in Infantino. The Asian Football Confederation later announced it stood in “solidarity” with both UEFA and CONCACAF, while senior FIFA figures also broke ranks: chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said the organisation’s leadership had been “deceived” over the project, and Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser on strategy and governance, resigned, calling the proposal “a bad deal for football” that would “mortgage football’s future”. Even UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham publicly stated Infantino was “the wrong man” to lead FIFA. FIFA had insisted on Friday it would press ahead, claiming “nobody is selling football”, but Infantino ultimately conceded he needed the backing of at least 106 of 211 members to pass the measure, a threshold that became impossible once the AFC joined the opposition bloc. Combined, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC represent 136 national associations, enough to defeat the proposal outright. The Confederation of African Football and Oceania Football Confederation had scheduled discussions on the plan for August, while South America’s CONMEBOL had requested further details on how the proposal would operate and its long-term impact. The decision comes as Infantino faces intense pressure ahead of March’s FIFA Congress, where he will seek re-election for a fourth term as president. He said he now intends to “bring all interested parties back together” to work in the “spirit of shared interest” for the good of the sport.