FIFA President Gianni Infantino was forced into a dramatic U-turn on Friday, scrapping plans to sell private equity stakes in World Cup tournaments after a coordinated revolt by European football’s governing body UEFA and widespread opposition from confederations worldwide.
The proposed deal, reportedly valued at approximately $20 billion, would have created a new commercial subsidiary to manage the operational and commercial aspects of FIFA’s flagship competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. Infantino had been championing the plan for months, but it provoked immediate fury when details emerged publicly.
UEFA called an emergency meeting of its 55 member associations on Thursday, and the result was unanimous: European nations would boycott all FIFA competitions, including future World Cups, if the proposal remained on the table. The decision meant that powerhouses like Germany, France, England, and defending world champions Spain would refuse to participate in the sport’s biggest event.
The revolt did not stop at Europe. CONCACAF, which governs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, also rejected the plan. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), previously considered one of Infantino’s key allies during his 11-year presidency, issued a statement of opposition and recommended that FIFA urgently review its management style.
In a stunning development hours before Infantino’s announcement, FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour told the Associated Press that the governing body’s own administration had been “deceived” by Infantino’s lack of openness in planning the sale over recent months. Lamour described the initiative as “a project of one person” and said he would sleep better after speaking out, even if it cost him his job.
Infantino ultimately issued a statement saying FIFA “will not proceed” with the plans. The reversal marks one of the most significant crises of his presidency and raises serious questions about his grip on power at the helm of world football’s governing body.
The episode exposed deep fissures in the relationship between FIFA and its continental confederations, with critics arguing that the proposal prioritized commercial interests over the sporting integrity of the World Cup. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin had been among the most vocal opponents, framing the boycott threat as a defense of football’s heritage against unchecked commercialization.
Sources: CNN, ESPN, Al Jazeera
Author: Europe Desk
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