Fifa president Gianni Infantino has scrapped his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
Facing backlash throughout the sport, a World Cup boycott from Europe and criticism from high-ranking officials inside Fifa itself, Infantino said the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise project “will not proceed.”
The news came just days after the plan was made public, with the governing body releasing a statement “attributable to the Fifa President”.
“The Fifa Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our Fifa Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed,” the statement read.
“And more so, as we said from the outset, to do this only if a majority of the Fifa Member Associations were in support and always subject to a consultation process with them, the Fifa Council, the Confederations and wider stakeholders.”
“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.
“Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve.”
“As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
The statement ended with Infantino saying he plans to “bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks” with the goal of discussing ways to grow the sport globally.
Backlash to proposal
Infantino's concession concluded a tumultuous week. The proposal was introduced just Tuesday, with Fifa projecting tens of billions in new investment by bringing together its commercial rights – encompassing broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing – under a new commercial venture and selling stakes in that venture to private equity.
Infantino had defended his plan as beneficial for member nations that could access increased development money.
Fifa also argued that outside investors wouldn't have an operational role in the tournament and would invest in a subsidiary rather than Fifa itself.
That didn't soften what many saw as an attempt to hand minority ownership in the world's biggest tournament to private investors with their own aims.
Member nations of Uefa (Europe's governing body) voted to boycott World Cups moving forward if the plan went through. Members of Concacaf, representing North America, Central America and the Caribbean, also “unequivocally” rejected the proposition.
Carlos Cordeiro, the senior adviser to Infantino for the past five years, resigned earlier Friday in protest of the Fifa Forward Enterprise plans. Cordeiro, 70, is the former president of US Soccer (2018-20) and a Goldman Sachs banker before that.
Meanwhile, Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa welcomed Fifa decision to withdraw their World Cup sale plans.
In a letter posted on the AFC's website, Sheikh Salman said he expects “any initiative that has the potential to impact global football will be presented and discussed with the Confederations, the Fifa Council, Member Associations and other stakeholders in a timely, transparent and meaningful manner.”
“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.
Uefa 'has lost confidence in Fifa leadership'
The European body welcomed Fifa's decision to withdraw the controversial proposal. However, Uefa said the world body has lost the confidence of many member boards.
"The current Fifa leadership has not only lost Uefa’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family," Uefa said in a statement on Saturday.
"Uefa thanks all the fans, leagues, clubs, players, individuals, associations and confederations that opposed the scheme, alongside the many Prime Ministers, heads of state and commentators who have demonstrated to the Fifa president that football is not for sale," it said in a statement.
"We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account."
