Key facts
- FIFA has abandoned a plan to sell private stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments.
- The decision followed strong opposition from European nations, which threatened a boycott.
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino's senior advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned over the proposal.
- FIFA's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, also spoke out against the plan.
- Infantino stated the project had created divisions and was no longer in the organization's interest.
FIFA has abandoned a controversial plan to sell private stakes in its major tournaments, including the World Cup, after facing widespread opposition. The decision, announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Friday, came just days after the proposal was unveiled and marked a significant reversal for the organization.
Infantino stated that the project had created divisions and was no longer in the interest of FIFA's objectives. He emphasized that the organization's purpose is to unite and improve football, and therefore, the proposal would not proceed. The plan involved creating a separate subsidiary to control the commercial and operational rights of tournaments, with a minority stake intended for private investors, including a firm run by Joshua Kushner.
The proposal drew immediate and strong backlash. European nations, through UEFA, threatened to boycott future World Cups unless the plan was abandoned, calling it a potential "sale" of football. Other regional confederations, including CONCACAF and the AFC, also expressed opposition, though they stopped short of boycott threats. The Oceania Football Confederation was expected to address the proposal in August.
Internal opposition also emerged within FIFA. Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to Infantino, resigned from his position in protest, stating he could not stand by while FIFA considered selling a stake in the World Cup and calling it a "bad deal." FIFA's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, also publicly criticized the plan, calling it "the project of one person" and expressing his willingness to lose his job over his statement.
The plan was announced shortly after the conclusion of a highly lucrative men's World Cup held across North America. FIFA had projected significant revenue generation from the tournaments, with the intention of reinvesting the funds back into the sport. Infantino expressed a goal to reunite the football world following this controversy.