UEFA Declares Gianni Infantino Has Lost Confidence Over World Cup Sell-Off Plan

FIFA president Gianni Infantino scrapped a plan to sell 20% of a new World Cup company after rejection from UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino officially abandoned a proposal to sell a 20 per cent stake in a new World Cup commercial entity to private investors in the early hours of Saturday morning. The collapse of the project followed a formal rejection by three major confederations—UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and CONCACAF—prompting UEFA to declare that the Swiss leader has lost the confidence of the football world. The proposed company, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), was designed to manage the commercial and operational aspects of both men's and women's World Cups.

Infantino had promised national associations up to 20 million US dollars (£15m) in additional development funding if they backed the FFE initiative by a September 19 deadline. Despite these financial incentives and pledges to increase funding across the next three World Cup cycles, the plan faced a total boycott threat from UEFA. The European governing body cited FIFA's current reserves of over 5 billion US dollars as evidence that selling off "family silver" was unnecessary to fund the grassroots game across the 211 member nations.

Investor Details and Internal Resignations

The investor group intended to lead the 20 per cent acquisition was Thrive Eternal, a firm founded by Joshua Kushner. Internal opposition to the deal led to high-profile departures within FIFA’s leadership structure. Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser, resigned on Friday after labeling the FFE proposal a "bad deal for football." Simultaneously, FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour issued a statement to the Associated Press describing the project as the work of a single person and accusing the administration of being deceived through a "lie by omission" spanning several months.

Lamour further characterized the attempt to force the deal through as a unilateral exercise of power that demonstrated a lack of discernment and transparency. UEFA echoed these sentiments, describing the arrangement as a "shabby, back room, opaque deal" hatched by faceless individuals. The European body noted that Infantino has failed to deliver on his decade-old election promises regarding transparency and the principle that FIFA’s money belongs to the member associations.

Global Opposition and Governance Reviews

Opposition to the FFE plan extended beyond Europe. The AFC released a statement on Friday morning calling for an urgent review of FIFA’s decision-making processes, noting that stakeholders are frequently confronted with major initiatives only after a direction has been determined. CONCACAF, representing 41 member nations in North and Central America and the Caribbean, held votes on Thursday that indicated a similar loss of trust. Sources close to the confederation confirmed that confidence in Infantino’s leadership had vanished following the proposal.

In response to the backlash, UEFA announced it will work with its associations and other confederations to launch a fundamental review of FIFA’s governance. The Football Association (FA) confirmed its full support for this position, calling for a robust audit to ensure the global game is run for the benefit of all 211 member nations. UEFA plans to propose an alternative method for distributing resources through the existing FIFA Forward programme, utilizing the billions currently sitting idle in FIFA’s bank accounts.

Future Leadership and Election Outlook

While Infantino expressed his intent to bring parties back together in the coming weeks, he faces a potential challenge in the presidential election scheduled for March next year. Reports have linked Paris St Germain president Nasser Al Khelaifi to the role, though sources indicate the Qatari official—who chairs the European Football Clubs (EFC) and beIN Media Group—is not interested. Victor Montagliani, the president of CONCACAF and a current FIFA vice-president, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate in the wake of the FFE humiliation.

UEFA has stated that no option should be off the table during its upcoming review of the current leadership. The governing body intends to identify those responsible for the "secret schemes" and hold them to account, asserting that the task of rebuilding trust in the international federation has only just begun. Despite admitting the FFE plan created divisions, Infantino maintains his objective is to continue growing football in countries that require the most support.