Infantino scraps controversial FIFA sell-off plan saying it 'created divisions'

What the report says

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has abandoned a plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors, telling Sky News that the proposal will be scrapped after facing strong criticism. The decision marks a reversal from an idea that had drawn widespread opposition and, according to the source material, had raised questions about Infantino’s standing at the top of world football’s governing body.

Sky News reported that Infantino described the proposal as one that had “created divisions,” and said it was being dropped. The move concerns FIFA’s long-discussed efforts to explore new commercial structures around the tournament, but the exact details of the proposed sale were not included in the available text.

The climbdown is significant because the World Cup is FIFA’s most important asset and any plan to involve private investors in it was always likely to be contentious. More broadly, the episode highlights continuing tension between FIFA’s commercial ambitions and the expectations of fans, member associations and football officials who may be wary of outside ownership influence.

The report did not provide further information on next steps for FIFA’s financing plans or on any formal vote. Based on general background, FIFA has often pursued major commercial deals to fund its operations and tournaments, but the specific terms of this abandoned proposal were not available in the supplied evidence.