GENEVA — Under intense pressure from governing bodies across global football and key internal leadership, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has officially abandoned plans to sell a stake in World Cup commercial operations to private equity investors.

The sudden reversal comes after days of mounting outrage from regional confederations and high-profile internal resignations that threatened to derail the governance of international soccer.

“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,” Infantino said in an official statement released Friday. “Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”

A $20 Billion Venture Scrapped

Infantino’s proposed initiative centered on creating a new $20 billion commercial subsidiary to manage FIFA’s marquee properties, including the men's and women's World Cups and Club World Cups. Under the scheme, private investors were slated to acquire a 20% equity stake in the subsidiary.

Reports identified a New York-based investment entity headed by Joshua Kushner as the prospective anchor investor for the venture.

However, the proposal stirred immediate and intense opposition immediately following its unveiling earlier in the week.

Unanimous Confederation Resistance

Resistance to the commercialization plan quickly escalated into an existential challenge for FIFA leadership:

  • UEFA Unity: European football’s governing body took the most severe stance, with its 55 member associations agreeing to boycott the World Cup and all FIFA-sanctioned events. In a scathing declaration, UEFA stated: “Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”

  • Continental Coalitions: North America’s CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) joined Europe in rejecting the proposal, leaving Infantino with virtually no institutional backing for the plan.

Internal Fallout and Resignations

The policy reversal followed significant unrest within FIFA's executive ranks.

Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino's senior adviser and representative on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, resigned in protest on Friday.

“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro stated, publicly calling on fellow officials to resist the commercial move.

Adding further weight to the opposition, FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour issued a direct statement expressing deep concern over transparency. Lamour noted that staff felt misled regarding the secret planning behind the proposal in recent months.

“It is the project of one person,” Lamour remarked. “Not only must this project not go ahead… but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”

Political Implications for Infantino

The collapse of the private equity proposal marks one of the most severe political setbacks for Gianni Infantino since taking office. Although Infantino was re-elected unopposed in both 2019 and 2023, the deadline for the next presidential candidate submissions arrives on November 18, ahead of the election in Rabat, Morocco.

With European and global alliances shaken by the recent controversy, Infantino’s previously secure standing within international football administration faces heightened scrutiny moving forward.