FIFA Withdraws Controversial Plan to Sell World Cup Stakes

FIFA President Gianni Infantino faced a significant setback after withdrawing a controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. This decision followed strong opposition from European countries and internal dissent within FIFA.

Plan Abandoned After Intense Opposition

The proposed commercial venture aimed to capitalize on tournaments like the World Cup and the Club World Cup. However, many European nations threatened to boycott the World Cup in protest, stating that the plan resembled the ‘sale’ of football. UEFA, the governing body for soccer in Europe, strongly resisted the proposal.

Despite support from some regions, notably CONCACAF and the AFC, both representing multiple countries, these organizations did not resort to boycotting threats. Internal opposition also mounted within FIFA, leading to the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, a top adviser to Infantino. FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, voiced his opposition openly, criticizing the project as Infantino’s ‘individual’ initiative.

Backlash and Consequences for Infantino

This development marks a blow to Infantino, who oversaw the most profitable World Cup history and handled controversies such as ticket prices and political awards. The U.S. men’s national team incident added further complications, generating global attention.

Infantino now faces pressure as he anticipates running for a third term. He had previously cited FIFA’s revenue success, most of which will benefit its 211 members. Despite this, the plan to sell stakes has been seen as too aggressive and met with resistance.

“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 stated.