FIFA’s Infantino scraps controversial World Cup private investment plan

What the report says

FIFA has abandoned a plan to bring in private investment tied to its World Cup business after the proposal triggered strong opposition from football bodies and senior insiders, Al Jazeera reported on July 31, 2026. The governing body had been seeking as much as $4.2bn by selling about a 20% stake in a new unit that would have managed FIFA events, including the World Cup, in a structure the article said implied a valuation of $20bn.

According to the report, the plan drew especially sharp criticism from UEFA, which moved to boycott FIFA and argued that the sport’s “soul” was being treated as something to sell. FIFA President Gianni Infantino later said the project had created divisions that were no longer compatible with its original purpose, and that it would not go ahead. The decision appears to have followed growing internal and external pressure over the direction of the proposal.

The article also noted that Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned on the same day, calling the idea a bad deal for football. FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, was quoted describing staff as deceived and characterizing the effort as driven by one person. Beyond football, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham criticized Infantino’s leadership. The episode highlights tensions over commercialization at the center of global football governance and FIFA’s efforts to balance revenue generation with political and sporting legitimacy.