FIFA has officially withdrawn its controversial proposal to allow private investment in major international tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup, following strong opposition from football governing bodies across the world.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the proposal had created divisions within the global football community and that moving forward with it was no longer in the best interests of the sport.
Under the proposal, FIFA’s 211 member associations were reportedly offered financial incentives of up to $40 million in exchange for supporting the plan. However, the proposal faced strong resistance from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and CONCACAF.
UEFA warned that its member nations could consider boycotting the FIFA World Cup if the proposal was implemented.
The controversy also led to the resignation of senior FIFA adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who described the plan as harmful to football’s future. FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour also acknowledged that the organization’s leadership had not been fully informed about key aspects of the proposal.
Following mounting pressure, Infantino announced that FIFA would restart consultations with all stakeholders to build consensus on the future direction of global football ahead of next year’s FIFA presidential election.
