Fifa president Gianni Infantino confirmed on Saturday that the controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal had been scrapped after widespread backlash, led by Uefa, which said its member nations would boycott all Fifa tournaments unless the plan was withdrawn.
Football Australia chair Anter Isaac and Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa both welcomed the decision. The plan had sought to raise up to $4.2bn by selling about a 20% stake in FFE to private investors, an entity that would run the World Cup and other Fifa events.
Football Australia: some principles should never change
Isaac said football should not stand still but certain principles should not be tampered with. "The discussions of recent days have reinforced an important principle of good governance: proposals of global significance should be developed through robust consultation, appropriate governance processes and meaningful engagement with member associations before they are presented for consideration," he said.
"Football has never stood still, nor should it. Some principles, however, should never change. Integrity. Independence. Good governance. Transparency. Meaningful consultation. Due process. These are not constraints on progress. They are what make lasting progress possible. Ultimately, the strength of football's institutions depends on the confidence and trust of the global football family. That trust is earned not simply through good decisions, but through the integrity of the processes that lead to them. Our attention must now turn to the future."
Football Australia had initially resisted immediate criticism of the proposal, asking instead for more information to digest and "properly assess" the implications as part of a consultation process before forming an official position.
AFC calls for proper consultation and respect
The AFC, of which Australia is a part, had stopped short of threatening a boycott but issued a strongly worded statement echoing Uefa's concerns. Concacaf, responsible for North and Central America and the Caribbean, also strongly opposed the sell-off.
Sheikh Salman said he expected "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 added in a letter posted on the AFC's website.
The AFC represents 47 member nations, including Australia, along with China, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
