Lead
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has abandoned his plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors, following mounting opposition from continental soccer bodies and criticism from within his own organization.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Friday joined European body UEFA and North America's CONCACAF in opposing the proposal, and called on FIFA to "urgently review its management style," as reported by Africa News. The AFC said it "stands in solidarity" with UEFA and CONCACAF, which had respectively threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions and rejected Infantino's offer of one-off $20 million payments to each member federation, according to the same report.
Coverage Comparison
Reporting from Africa News and France 24 — English consistently indicates that Infantino has dropped the controversial initiative. France 24 — English reported that UEFA's 55-member nations agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions, while CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also stated their opposition.
Africa News detailed the sequence of events, noting that UEFA led the pushback and threatened to boycott the tournament if the sell-off went ahead. The plan, which was announced Tuesday, drew backlash that grew daily until Friday, when Infantino issued a statement saying the proposal would not proceed.
The abandonment of the plan follows a turbulent period for Infantino, who is also facing criticism over his handling of the 2026 World Cup, as well as calls for new leadership from his predecessor, Sepp Blatter.
Key Claims
- Infantino proposed spinning off FIFA's commercial businesses — including the men's and women's World Cups and Club World Cups — into a $20 billion subsidiary, with 20% owned by private investors, as reported by Africa News.
- The "anchor investor" is a New York-based investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to the same report.
- The AFC criticized FIFA for problems beyond the content of the private equity plan, saying it exposed "fundamental weaknesses in FIFA's consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed," as quoted by Africa News.
- In his Friday statement, Infantino said: "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. ... As a result, this proposal will not proceed." This was reported by Africa News.
- FIFA's senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker, resigned and urged other senior FIFA staff to speak out, saying, "I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup," as reported by Africa News.
- FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour issued a statement criticizing the project, saying staff were deceived by Infantino's lack of openness in planning the sale, according to Africa News.
La Liga chief Javier Tebas went further, accusing Infantino of "destroying the football industry" by prioritizing the World Cup over domestic leagues, according to the same outlet. Tebas called plans to expand the tournament to 64 teams "irresponsible," and said Infantino's "time is up."
Despite the controversies, FIFA's members appear to disagree with Tebas. The vast majority of FIFA's 211 member associations have endorsed Infantino for re-election in March, when he is expected to stand unopposed, as reported by Africa News.
The 2026 World Cup also saw the introduction of hydration breaks — three-minute pauses in each half due to high temperatures — which critics say is an attempt to turn football into a four-quarter format better aligned with American sports and advertising revenue, according to Africa News.