Following a strong and successful FIFA World Cup, President Gianni Infantino announced plans to sell stakes in future World Cups to private investors. That was met with a strong level of opposition, and it happened rather quickly.
UEFA, the governing body for 55 European football associations, was first to strongly oppose the proposal. They joined together on Thursday, following a virtual meeting, to unanimously oppose and boycott Infantino and the World Cup.
Concacaf, the governing body for the 41 nations in the Americas, came out late Thursday and also announced they were joining UEFA in their opposition of the proposal. On Friday morning, the Asian Football Confederation joined the first two in their opposition.
Before Conmebol, the South American Confederation, CAF, the African Confederation, and OFC, the Oceania Confederation could officially announce their plans, FIFA President Gianni Infantino put out a statement on Friday evening to announce that the proposal is off.
“The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed,” Infantino said. “And more so, as we said from the outset, to do this only if a majority of the FIFA Member Associations were in support and always subject to a consultation process with them, the FIFA Council, the Confederations and wider stakeholders.
“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.
“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.”
After UEFA, Concacaf, and AFC joined together to strongly oppose Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell stakes in future World Cups to private investors, FIFA has announced that the proposal has been shut down and will not proceed. pic.twitter.com/QBXNWblwP3
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) July 31, 2026
Gianni Infantino will be up for re-election as FIFA President at some point in 2027.
Following a strong and successful FIFA World Cup, President Gianni Infantino announced plans to sell stakes in future World Cups to private investors. That was met with a strong level of opposition, and it happened rather quickly. UEFA, the governing body for 55 European football associations, was first to strongly oppose the proposal.