Gianni Infantino has been forced into a humiliating climbdown after his proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors collapsed. The FIFA president released a statement on Saturday confirming the project will not proceed.
Infantino had wanted to create a company called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to oversee its competitions, including the men's World Cup. The most contentious element of the plot was to sell a 20 per cent stake to private investors, with Thrive Eternal, a firm established by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, identified as the primary investor.
The plan was met with fury throughout the football world, particularly in Europe, as all 55 UEFA member associations pledged to boycott the World Cup. The Asian Confederation and CONCACAF also condemned the idea, which Infantino wanted to rush through in less than two months.
Infantino's World Cup unity message
With the proposal collapsing around him, Infantino found time to release a tone-deaf statement emphasising the triumph and "unity" of the recent World Cup. On Saturday morning, the Swiss administrator posted on Instagram: "The FIFA World Cup 2026 brought together more people, more cultures and more communities than ever before, showing the true power of the beautiful game."
"Football speaks every language and belongs to everyone. That is why I have always believed it has a unique ability to bring people together, inspire hope and create opportunities. Thank you to every fan for making this the greatest and most inclusive @fifaworldcup ever." The post featured an image of him shaking hands with a supporter and concluded with the hashtag #FootballUnitesTheWorld, garnering several thousand likes but no comments, as they had been switched off.
FIFA proposal will not proceed
Following such a scathing reaction to his proposal, including from some of his own colleagues, Infantino has been forced into a humiliating retreat. In a separate statement issued on Saturday, he said: "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."
"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."
"Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support."
With his authority considerably undermined, Infantino, who faces re-election next year, could now find himself confronted with a formidable challenge to his leadership.
