FIFA President Gianni Infantino has officially abandoned a high-stakes proposal to sell a commercial stake in the World Cup to private investors. The dramatic reversal follows widespread outcry across the global football community, including boycott threats and internal executive resignations.
The controversy centered on a proposal to spin off FIFA’s commercial operations including the men’s and women’s World Cups into a $20 billion subsidiary. The plan included selling a 20% minority stake to private equity firms, including an anchor investment firm led by Joshua Kushner.
Responding to overwhelming resistance from continental confederations and member associations, Infantino issued a official statement confirming the project has been shelved immediately:
“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.”
“Our purpose has always been and will always be to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.
Global Resistance: European football governing body UEFA led the charge alongside North America’s CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, with UEFA member nations threatening a full boycott of all FIFA competitions.
High-Level Resignations: High-ranking officials, including senior FIFA adviser Carlos Cordeiro and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, publicly broke ranks with Infantino over the lack of transparency in the proposal.
Preserving Football’s Core: UEFA pushed back strongly in public statements, maintaining that “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will… it will never be for sale.”
The swift collapse of the proposal represents one of the most significant political setbacks of Infantino’s presidency. For fans, players, and continental bodies, the decision reinforces the boundary between commercial expansion and the core integrity of international football.
