FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on Friday, August 1st, 2026, that the international soccer governing body will not move forward with a controversial proposal to sell stakes in future World Cup competitions to private investors. This decision follows significant backlash, including a boycott threat from UEFA, Europe's governing body for football, and the resignation of Infantino's senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro.

In a statement, Infantino said, "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."

The proposal had been announced on July 28th, with FIFA stating that investors would be selected based on "clear long-term, governance, and strategic criteria" and would represent a geographically diversified group reflecting the global nature of the game.

Carlos Cordeiro, who also served as a senior adviser to the White House task force for the 2026 World Cup, resigned in protest, stating that FIFA "already has access to extraordinary final resources," and criticized the plan as "mortgaging football's future without any compelling justification."

UEFA's 55 member associations had voted on July 31st to boycott the World Cup if FIFA continued with the plan, intensifying the pressure on the organization.

Infantino also expressed his intention 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."

The controversy unfolded shortly after the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match held on July 19th in East Rutherford, New Jersey, between Spain and Argentina.

Sources

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