FIFA abandons World Cup investment plan after global football backlash

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has withdrawn plans to sell a minority stake in a new commercial unit that would have run the World Cup and other FIFA events, following widespread opposition from member associations and senior figures within the organisation.

FIFA had hoped to raise up to $4.2bn by selling about 20% of the proposed business to private investors. The plan, announced on Tuesday, quickly triggered a strong reaction across international football.

“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,” Infantino said in a statement on Friday evening.

“Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”

FIFA had presented the sale as a way of generating billions of dollars for its global sports development programmes. The governing body also accused media outlets of misrepresenting the nature of the proposal.

Infantino had written to FIFA’s member associations promising that each would receive $40m if they backed the plan by 19 September.

“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 added.

The proposal faced its most significant challenge from UEFA. On Thursday, its 55 member nations voted unanimously to boycott all FIFA tournaments unless the plan was withdrawn, arguing that the World Cup “cannot be treated as an investment product.”

UEFA also accused FIFA of putting the sport’s “soul” up for sale.

CONCACAF, the confederation representing 41 associations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, rejected the proposal at a meeting on Thursday.

The Asian Football Confederation, which has 47 members, said on Friday that it “stands in solidarity” with UEFA and CONCACAF.

Together, the three confederations represent 143 national associations well over half of FIFA’s 211 members. A majority of FIFA’s members would have been required to support the proposal for it to move forward.

The opposition was not limited to national and continental governing bodies. Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned with immediate effect on Friday, describing the proposal as “a bad deal for football”.

FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour also criticised the plan, saying staff had been “deceived” by Infantino and calling it a “project of one person”.

Infantino, 56, is due to stand for re-election next year. Victor Montagliani, the head of North American football, is reportedly considering challenging him.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told reporters that Infantino was “the wrong man to lead the organisation.”

Under the abandoned proposal, FIFA would have created a $20bn subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to oversee the World Cup and its other competitions and events.

According to FIFA, Thrive Eternal a fund operated by Thrive Capital, which was founded by Joshua Kushner was expected to lead the proposed investment group.

Joshua Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. Trump and Infantino have developed a close relationship, with the United States co-hosting the recent 2026 World Cup.

Trump said he had not discussed the external investment plan with Infantino.