FIFA president Gianni Infantino has abandoned his controversial proposal to sell stakes in the governing body’s competitions to private investors after facing overwhelming opposition from football’s major confederations.
Infantino confirmed the plan would no longer go ahead, admitting it had created divisions that were “no longer in the interest” of the project’s original objective.
The proposal would have offered FIFA’s 211 member associations $40 million (£30m) each in exchange for backing private investment in competitions including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
However, UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the plans proceeded, while Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also rejected the proposal, leaving the FIFA president with little chance of securing the support needed.
“As a result, this proposal will not proceed,” Infantino said.
“Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve.
“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.”
The announcement follows several days of mounting pressure on the 56-year-old, with senior FIFA figures distancing themselves from the proposal.
FIFA insiders ‘deceived’
Chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said the organisation’s own administration had been “deceived” over the project, while senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, describing the proposal as “a bad deal for football” that would “mortgage football’s future”.
Concacaf, which governs football across North, Central America and the Caribbean, rejected the plan after a meeting of its member associations, while the AFC publicly backed UEFA and Concacaf’s stance.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham also criticised the proposal, calling Infantino “the wrong man” to lead FIFA.
The collapse of the plan leaves Infantino facing increasing scrutiny ahead of the FIFA presidential election in March, where he is expected to seek a fourth term in office.
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa welcomed the decision to withdraw the proposal.
“The future of global football must always be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game,” he said.
Infantino had initially insisted FIFA would continue with the proposals despite opposition, arguing that “nobody is selling football”.
But with UEFA’s 55 members, Concacaf’s 35 associations and the AFC’s 46 members all opposed, the proposal no longer had a realistic path to securing the majority support required from FIFA’s 211 member associations.
The governing bodies in Africa and Oceania had planned to discuss the proposal later this month, while South American confederation CONMEBOL had requested further clarification before taking a position.
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