FIFA president Gianni Infantino has formally scrapped his contentious proposal to sell a portion of future World Cup revenues to private‑equity investors after intense pushback from the sport's governing bodies. While the president has stepped back from the idea, UEFA has publicly declared that it no longer trusts Infantino’s leadership, a stance that the English Football Association has also endorsed.
The original plan, announced on a Tuesday, was to create a new vehicle called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). This entity would have combined the commercial rights of FIFA—broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing—with the operational delivery of its tournaments. Infantino gave national associations a deadline of 19 September to endorse the scheme, sweetening the offer with a £30.1 million incentive for those who voted in favour.
The reaction was swift and hostile. UEFA, the North‑American, Central‑American and Caribbean federation CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation all condemned the proposal as a breach of football’s governance principles. Even British Prime Minister Andy Burnham weighed in, urging FIFA to conduct an urgent governance review and calling the withdrawal "the right decision" on Sky News.
In a statement released early Saturday, Infantino explained that the FIFA Forward Enterprise project was meant to strengthen member associations and grow the game worldwide, especially in nations that need the most support. He stressed that the initiative would only have proceeded with a clear majority of member backing and after a thorough consultation process involving the FIFA Council, confederations and other stakeholders.
After listening to the feedback, Infantino concluded that the project had created divisions that outweighed any potential benefit, and therefore it would not move forward. He pledged to reconvene with interested parties in the coming weeks to continue the mission of expanding football, particularly in under‑served regions.
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the AFC, welcomed the decision on the AFC website, emphasizing that any global football initiative must be discussed transparently with confederations, the FIFA Council, member associations and other stakeholders. He warned that the future of the sport must be shaped through collective dialogue and respect for established governance structures. Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol echoed the sentiment, describing the episode as a "tipping point" for Infantino. He argued that the controversy was self‑inflicted and that the president was rapidly losing authority.
Solhekol noted that UEFA and other bodies were effectively calling for Infantino’s resignation, even if they stopped short of stating it outright. "They have lost confidence in him and are reviewing all options, including the possibility of finding a new leader," he said.
UEFA issued a statement thanking fans, leagues, clubs, players and national associations for opposing the scheme, as well as the numerous heads of state who reminded the FIFA president that football is not a commodity for sale. The federation warned against secret, fast‑track deals driven by unnamed individuals and called for a comprehensive investigation to identify those responsible. UEFA stressed that the current FIFA leadership had lost its confidence, not only from UEFA but from many other members of the football family.
The English FA released a brief note confirming its full support for UEFA’s position and urging a robust review of FIFA’s leadership and governance. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) echoed the call, insisting that FIFA and its members must act as custodians of the game, prioritising long‑term growth, development and sustainability. The controversy intensified after senior FIFA adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, describing the privatisation plan as a "bad deal for football" and detrimental to the sport’s long‑term future. In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Cordeiro, a former banker and lifelong football fan, said he had no involvement in the proposal and opposed it unequivocally.
Another senior official, chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, accused Infantino of deceiving staff with a lack of openness, saying employees deserved better treatment than "contempt and intimidation". Lamour labelled the World Cup plan as "the project of one person" and called for decisive action from football leaders. The original FFE proposal aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion (£3.1 billion) from external investors by selling minority, non‑controlling stakes in a venture valued at roughly $20 billion (£15 billion).
FIFA claimed that, with member approval, the scheme could generate more than $10 billion in development funding over four years. Critics argued that such a massive influx of private capital would undermine the sport’s democratic structures and divert resources away from grassroots programmes. Speculation about Infantino’s possible successors has already begun. Some commentators mentioned Nasser Al‑Khelaifi, the powerful PSG president who sits on UEFA’s executive committee, though he has denied any interest in the role.
Others point to Sheikh Salman, who finished second in the 2016 FIFA presidential election, and Victor Montagliani, CONCACAF’s chief, both of whom have publicly opposed the sell‑off. Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA president, is also seen as a potential candidate; his vision for football contrasts sharply with Infantino’s, favouring a more transparent, less commercialised approach.
At present, Infantino is under intense scrutiny, and while no formal resignation has been announced, the combined pressure from UEFA, national associations, senior advisers and former officials suggests his tenure could be in jeopardy. The next weeks will likely see a thorough review of FIFA’s governance, the reallocation of idle funds in its bank accounts, and a renewed focus on delivering resources through the existing FIFA Forward programme rather than through the sale of a share of the World Cup.
The episode serves as a reminder that the global football community remains vigilant against any attempts to treat the beautiful game as a tradable asset.