FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that the plan to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors has been canceled, telling Sky News the decision came after the proposal 'created controversies.' The confirmation follows days of reports about the plan's collapse amid fierce opposition from European football bodies.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed early Saturday that the plan to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors has been canceled, telling Sky News the proposal 'created controversies' and was therefore withdrawn.
The announcement confirms an earlier report, published by The Zioneer at 02:22 Jerusalem, that the privatization plan had been scrapped. The reversal marks a dramatic end to a proposal that had sparked a crisis within global football governance.
Over the past week, the plan faced fierce opposition from UEFA, which threatened a full boycott of the 2030 World Cup and launched an unprecedented attack on Infantino's leadership. European football bodies accused the FIFA president of seeking to commercialize the tournament at the expense of the sport's integrity. Reports also emerged of efforts to replace Infantino with Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Infantino had initially defended the proposal, describing it as a suggestion rather than a mandate. However, the backlash from European associations and internal FIFA staff led to the decision to scrap the plan, according to sources.
The cancellation removes a major source of tension between FIFA and European football bodies, but questions remain over the future relationship between the governing body and its most powerful member associations. Infantino's position could still face challenges, as European officials have been pushing for a change in leadership.
3 developments
- DevelopingInfantino pushes back against criticism over 'selling the World Cup' proposal
- StrongUEFA launches unprecedented attack on FIFA's Infantino, threatens 2030 World Cup boycott over privatization plan
- DevelopingUEFA threatens to boycott next World Cup, says competition 'not for sale' — N12 reports
- DevelopingPolitico: European football officials push to replace Infantino with Qatar's Al-Khelaifi as FIFA president
Source and signal
- Open-source intake