FIFA president Gianni Infantino has abandoned his controversial proposal to sell stakes in the governing bodys competitions to private investors after facing overwhelming opposition from footballs major confederations. Infantino confirmed the plan would no longer go ahead, admitting it had created divisions that were no longer in the interest of the projects original objective.The proposal would have offered FIFAs 211 member associations $40 million (�30m) each in exchange for backing private investment in competitions including the mens and womens World Cups.However, UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the plans proceeded, while Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also rejected the proposal, leaving the FIFA president with little chance of securing the support needed.As a result, this proposal will not proceed, Infantino said.Our purpose has always been and will always be to unite and improve.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.The announcement follows several days of mounting pressure on the 56-year-old, with senior FIFA figures distancing themselves from the proposal.FIFA insiders deceivedChief operating officer Kevin Lamour said the organisations own administration had been deceived over the project, while senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, describing the proposal as a bad deal for football that would mortgage footballs future.Concacaf, which governs football across North, Central America and the Caribbean, rejected the plan after a meeting of its member associations, while the AFC publicly backed UEFA and Concacafs stance.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham also criticised the proposal, calling Infantino the wrong man to lead FIFA.The collapse of the plan leaves Infantino facing increasing scrutiny ahead of the FIFA presidential election in March, where he is expected to seek a fourth term in office.AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa welcomed the decision to withdraw the proposal.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 said.Infantino had initially insisted FIFA would continue with the proposals despite opposition, arguing that nobody is selling football.But with UEFAs 55 members, Concacafs 35 associations and the AFCs 46 members all opposed, the proposal no longer had a realistic path to securing the majority support required from FIFAs 211 member associations.The governing bodies in Africa and Oceania had planned to discuss the proposal later this month, while South American confederation CONMEBOL had requested further clarification before taking a position. Topics World Cup 2026 Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read BREAKING: UEFA to boycott FIFA World Cup Ben Miller 30th July, 2026 UEFA calls FIFA World Cup plan sell-off a profound failure of leadership Ben Miller 30th July, 2026 Neymar hits back at malicious fake news: I wont accept that total lie Ben Miller 27th July, 2026 Neymar: Watch goals video as Brazil icon cops ban on Santos return in strikers first match since World Cup 2026 Ben Miller 26th July, 2026 Cape Verde hero Vozinha set to join Chilean club Colo Colo 101 GreatGoals 25th July, 2026 IShowSpeed plays football in World Cup 2026 video as Cristiano Ronaldo fan faces JasonTheWeen, Marlon, Sean Garnier, Zias, Brittany Isenhour and Freda Ayisi: Shout out to FIFA Ben Miller 21st July, 2026
