FIFA has abandoned plans to sell a stake in the commercial business behind the World Cup after opposition from three regional confederations left the proposal without enough support. The reversal places Gianni Infantino under pressure months before nominations close for the next FIFA presidential election.

Infantino confirmed the withdrawal in a statement issued early on Saturday, four days after reports disclosed plans to bring private investors into a new company responsible for FIFA competitions.

“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,” he said.

“Our purpose has always been, and will always be, to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”

The decision followed resistance from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation. Together, the three bodies represent enough national associations to block the plan at a vote of FIFA’s 211 members.

UEFA’s 55 associations voted on Thursday to boycott FIFA competitions if the governing body continued with the proposal.

FIFA needed at least 106 votes to approve the proposal. UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation account for 136 associations if each member follows its regional body’s position.

FIFA had planned to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial subsidiary responsible for events including the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup. External investors would have held a minority stake while FIFA retained control.

FIFA sought to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling about 20 per cent of the company, placing its value at about $20 billion. FIFA presented the project as a route to distribute more than $10 billion among national associations over future funding cycles.

Infantino offered each association up to $40 million if members backed the proposal. An initial payment of $20 million was linked to a 19 September deadline.

UEFA and CONCACAF said FIFA developed the plan without consultation. Both confederations rejected private investment in World Cup rights.

The Asian Football Confederation also criticised the process. Its president, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, welcomed the withdrawal and called for earlier consultation on proposals affecting the sport’s commercial structure.

“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.

Sheikh Salman said confederations, the FIFA Council, national associations and other groups should receive information in a timely and transparent manner before decisions reach an advanced stage.

The dispute also exposed opposition inside FIFA.

Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance, resigned on Friday. He called the proposal “a bad deal for football” and said it would “mortgage football’s future”.

Cordeiro said he had not taken part in preparing the plan and rejected the claim that FIFA required outside investment to increase the value of its competitions.

FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said the organisation’s administration had been “deceived” about the project. He described the scheme as “the project of one person” and accused Infantino of failing to consult senior officials.

“A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them,” Lamour told the Associated Press. He said the proposal had produced the opposite result.

FIFA had defended the project on Friday and stated that “nobody is selling football”. Hours later, Infantino withdrew it.

The collapse leaves questions about how the plan reached member associations without agreement from regional confederations or senior figures within FIFA.

The Asian Football Confederation said the dispute extended beyond one commercial proposal and exposed weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making structures. It called for an urgent review of governance arrangements.

Infantino said he would bring interested parties together in the coming days and weeks

Infantino has led FIFA since February 2016, when he defeated Sheikh Salman by 115 votes to 88. He later secured two further terms without an opponent.

He announced in April that he would seek another term covering 2027 to 2031. The election will take place at the FIFA Congress in Morocco on 18 March 2027. Candidates have until 18 November 2026 to enter the contest.

Infantino has also faced scrutiny over his relationship with US President Donald Trump. The two appeared together during the World Cup and maintained contact during preparations for the tournament.

The proposed investor group was expected to involve Thrive Eternal, linked to Thrive Capital founder Joshua Kushner. Kushner is the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Trump said on Friday that he had not discussed the investment proposal with Infantino.

HT