FIFA president Gianni Infantino has formally withdrawn his contentious proposal to sell a share of future World Cup earnings to private‑equity investors after a wave of criticism from the sport's governing bodies. The decision came after UEFA publicly announced that it no longer trusts Infantino’s leadership, a stance that was echoed by the English Football Association and several other national federations. The original plan, unveiled on a Tuesday, was to create a new vehicle called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
This entity would have bundled the sale of FIFA's commercial assets—broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals, ticketing and licensing—into a single package and combined them with the operational delivery of the organisation's tournaments. Infantino gave member 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. From the outset, the proposal attracted sharp rebuke from UEFA, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Even the UK’s prime minister, Andy Burnham, weighed in, demanding an urgent review of FIFA’s governance and describing the retreat as "the right decision" during a Sky News interview.
In a statement released in the early hours of Saturday, Infantino explained why the project was being abandoned. He said FIFA Forward Enterprise was meant to strengthen member associations and support football in nations that need it most, but that the plan would only move forward with a clear majority backing and after a thorough consultation with the FIFA Council, the confederations and other stakeholders. After listening to the feedback, he concluded that the initiative had created divisions that threatened the original purpose of uniting and improving the game.
Consequently, the proposal would not proceed and he pledged to bring all interested parties back together in the coming weeks to continue growing football worldwide, especially in under‑served regions. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the AFC, welcomed the decision on the AFC’s website, stressing that any initiative with the potential to affect global football must be discussed transparently with the 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 summed up the mood among European officials, stating that the controversy had reached a "tipping point" and that Infantino’s authority was rapidly eroding. He suggested that UEFA and other bodies were effectively calling for the president’s resignation, even if they stopped short of naming him directly. "They are basically saying it is time to go and they no longer believe in him," Solhekol reported, adding that UEFA’s statement left no option off the table for a leadership review. UEFA issued its own statement, thanking fans, leagues, clubs, players, national associations and even heads of state who had opposed the scheme.
The confederation condemned the idea of "secret schemes on fast‑track timescales" and vowed to work with partners worldwide to ensure that no similar plan could be pushed through without full consultation. UEFA highlighted the need for a thorough, fundamental review of FIFA’s governance and stressed that the current leadership had lost the confidence not only of UEFA but of many other members of the football family. The English FA echoed UEFA’s position, declaring unequivocal support for the call to review FIFA’s leadership and governance. A separate statement from the Football Association of Wales (FAW) reinforced the same sentiment, emphasizing that FIFA and its members are custodians of the sport and must act in the long‑term interests of the game.
Pressure on Infantino intensified after senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest, labeling the privatisation plan a "bad deal for football" and detrimental to the sport’s future. In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Cordeiro, a former banker and lifelong football enthusiast, said he had no involvement in the proposal and opposed it unequivocally. Another senior official, chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, told the Associated Press that staff felt "deceived" by Infantino’s lack of openness and deserved better treatment than what he described as "contempt and intimidation".
Lamour characterised 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 argued that the capital influx could generate more than $10 billion in development funding over four years, but the scheme required approval from member associations—a hurdle it could not clear after the backlash.
Speculation about Infantino’s possible successors has already begun. While PSG president Nasser Al‑Khelaifi, a powerful figure on UEFA’s executive committee, is not publicly interested in the role, other names have surfaced. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who finished second in the 2016 FIFA presidential vote, remains a vocal opponent of the sell‑off. CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, who recently oversaw the World Cup in three CONCACAF nations, also rejected the plan.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin is frequently mentioned as a potential alternative, praised for his different vision of football governance, though he has not indicated any desire to replace Infantino. In summary, the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal marks a significant victory for those who believe football should not be treated as a commodity for private investors. UEFA, the FA, the AFC and numerous other bodies have pledged to conduct a comprehensive review of FIFA’s leadership, governance and financial practices. The episode underscores the growing demand for transparency, accountability and collective decision‑making in the sport’s global administration.
While Infantino’s future remains uncertain, the broader football community appears united in its resolve to protect the integrity of the game and ensure that any future financial initiatives are developed with full stakeholder participation and clear benefit to the worldwide football family.