Gianni Infantinos hugely controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup should have been handled differently, the governing body has said in a statement backing its under-pressure president. FIFA was forced to withdraw the Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which faced fierce criticism from across the game and led to European body UEFA and its members threatening a boycott of the organisations tournaments.Infantino had offered FIFAs 211 member associations �30 million each if they backed private investment in tournaments, defending the proposals as recently as Friday before backing down and accepting the idea had created divisions.Table of ContentsWhat have FIFA said? Full statement on World Cup planGianni Infantino: FIFA will not tolerate attacks on integrityFIFA World Cup proposalWhat have FIFA said? Full statement on World Cup planFollowing a meeting in Rabat, the FIFA Secretary General and members of its Management Board reaffirmed their full support for Infantino as the only official elected by the associations.Earlier on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Infantinos failure to consult senior advisers including FIFAs chief operating officer and board members should be fatal.Carney said Infantino committed a fatal governance failure by not consulting senior advisers, including FIFAs chief operating officer and board members.It was discussed and agreed that the processes, communications and interactions between the FIFA President, the FIFA Secretary General and the FIFA Management Board that support the delivery of [Infantinos] vision can and should always be continuously improved in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency, FIFA said.The great work of the FIFA Administration that ensured a successful delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026 was acknowledged, and which would not have been possible without the FIFA President, the FIFA Secretary General and FIFA Administration speaking as one voice and working as one team.In this regard, FIFAs top management is fully confident that the outcomes of todays meeting will strengthen FIFAs governance, help restore confidence in the organisation and enable us to prepare for the major events and challenges ahead in a united and transparent manner while continuing our mission to develop the game around the world.Gianni Infantino: FIFA will not tolerate attacks on integrityThe statement said mistakes had been acknowledged around the investment proposal. It was agreed that it was not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently, it added.It was further acknowledged that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media.In a separate letter to the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations, an apology was made for these errors together with a commitment to ensure they do not happen again.A review will now be conducted and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.As previously communicated, the FFE proposal, which would have been subject to the approval of the FIFA Member Associations and the FIFA Council, is now off the table.With the project withdrawn, it was agreed that FIFA will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation.There are always lessons to be learned and FIFA will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience.In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework.FIFA will work closely with the relevant stakeholders to examine how it can further support the development of the game through the FIFA Forward programme for the benefit of [our] Member Associations, the Confederations and the Regional Associations.FIFA World Cup proposalThe initial idea was to sell a percentage of the commercial rights to FIFAs flagship events, including the mens and womens World Cup, to investors and form a new subsidiary FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). FIFA said Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner the brother of US president Donald Trumps son-in-law Jared would lead the investor group.It had been reported Infantino would become the chief executive of FFE and command an annual salary akin to that of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who earns around $64m a year. Infantinos current approximate salary is $6m. Topics Donald Trump FIFA FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup 2026 Gianni Infantino World Cup 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 Luis Figo attacks Gianni Infantino, describing his World Cup sell-off plan as deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour Jon Fisher 5th August, 2026 FA withdraw support for FIFA President Infantino as pressure builds Mitch Fretton 3rd August, 2026 Real Madrid issue statement after FIFA U-turn as pressure grows on Gianni Infantino Cian Cheesbrough 2nd August, 2026 FIFA abandon controversial World Cup plan after backlash Mitch Fretton 1st August, 2026 Infantinos senior advisor quits; is this the beginning of the end for controversial FIFA president? Jon Fisher 31st July, 2026 AFC side with UEFA and CONCACAF in major blow to FIFAs World Cup sell-off plan Jon Fisher 31st July, 2026
