FIFA’s Infantino scraps controversial World Cup private investment plan

FIFA has decided to shelve a controversial privatization proposal that would have allowed external investors to acquire a significant ownership stake in the organization's events division. The plan, which surfaced earlier in the week, aimed to generate approximately $4.2 billion by selling roughly one-fifth of a newly created entity responsible for managing FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. The valuation placed this unit at $20 billion.

The initiative encountered substantial resistance from football's governing bodies worldwide. UEFA, European football's regulatory authority, responded with particular force, voting to boycott FIFA and characterizing the proposal as commodifying the sport's fundamental values. The backlash extended within FIFA itself, with senior leadership expressing serious reservations about the direction.

FIFA President Infantino acknowledged the internal and external divisions the proposal had generated, stating that regardless of support levels, the project no longer served its intended purpose. He emphasized FIFA's commitment to unity and improvement, announcing the proposal would not advance. The decision followed the resignation of Infantino's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who publicly criticized the plan as detrimental to football. Additionally, FIFA's Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour characterized the initiative as a single individual's project and suggested staff had been misled regarding its nature.