Fifa president Gianni Infantino has abandoned his controversial plan to sell stakes in the governing body’s major competitions following widespread opposition from across world football.
Infantino acknowledged the project had “created divisions” that are “no longer in the interest” of its original objective, issuing a statement in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The Swiss official confirmed: “As a result, this proposal will not proceed,” bringing a turbulent week for the world governing body to a dramatic close.
Infantino had offered all 211 member associations $40m (£30m) each if they backed private investment in Fifa tournaments, including both the men’s and women’s World Cups.
Uefa’s 55 European member associations voted on Thursday to boycott World Cups entirely if the plans moved forward, representing one of the most significant acts of defiance against Fifa leadership in recent memory.
Concacaf, which governs football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, confirmed its members had also “rejected” the proposal, with sources indicating most associations in the region had lost faith in Infantino.
The Asian Football Confederation added further pressure by declaring it stood in “solidarity” with Uefa and Concacaf, effectively making the numbers insurmountable for Infantino to secure majority backing.
Uefa has 55 votes, Concacaf holds 35, and the AFC represents 46 member associations, meaning a combined opposition bloc of 136 nations could have voted against the plan.
Fifa’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said the governing body’s own administration had been “deceived” about the project, describing it as “the project of one person.”
Lamour also said “a president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them” but that this proposal was “the opposite,” adding defiantly: “If that means I lose my job, then so be it.”
Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned over the matter, stating the proposal was “a bad deal for football” that would “mortgage football’s future,” becoming the first senior Fifa figure to step down over the plans.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham further intensified the pressure on Infantino by publicly declaring that he was “the wrong man” to lead Fifa.
The plan had centred on creating a commercial subsidiary called Fifa Forward Enterprise, inviting “third parties to make minority, non-controlling investments” in a new entity overseeing major tournaments.
A 25-page document produced by investment bank JP Morgan outlined how Fifa’s tournaments would expand to deliver an estimated increased payout of 24 million euros (£20.5m) per member association in the 2035-2039 cycle.
Fifa stated that Thrive Eternal was expected to lead the proposed investor group, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law to US President Donald Trump.
Trump, addressing the proposals publicly for the first time on Friday, said he had not spoken to Infantino about the plans despite the pair developing a close relationship since 2025.
Infantino, 56, now faces serious uncertainty over his future as he seeks re-election for a fourth term at the Fifa Congress in Morocco next March, with candidates required to declare by 18 November.
Prior to this week’s events, Infantino had been widely expected to stand unopposed, with numerous associations already pledging their support for his continued leadership.
In his statement, Infantino said he intends to “bring all interested parties back together” in the “spirit of shared interest,” reiterating his purpose had “always been – and always will be – to unite and improve.”
Whether the turbulence of this week permanently damages Infantino’s re-election prospects remains to be seen, with the football world watching closely for any further fallout.
