FIFA president Gianni Infantino abandoned a proposal to spin off a commercial subsidiary and sell a 20% stake to private investors after intense opposition from multiple federations and internal resignations, ESPN reported.
The pushback came from regions including Asia, Concacaf and UEFA, and was followed by departures from FIFA staff such as chief operating officer Kevin Lamour and senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, according to ESPN. UEFA warned that outside ownership of FIFA competitions would permanently shift incentives toward commercial returns and said it could pull its 55 member associations out of FIFA events.
The planned sale came despite Infantino’s strong political standing with the organization’s 211 member associations, many of which rely heavily on FIFA funding. According to ESPN, during his decade in charge Infantino has more than quadrupled the funding each federation receives and overseen a seven-fold increase in total investment in soccer-related projects, while delivering what the article described as the most lucrative sporting event in history with the 2026 World Cup.
The article argued the proposed equity sale made little business sense. FIFA did not need immediate capital, sitting on roughly $2.7 billion in cash reserves before the 2026 World Cup, ESPN reported. With that balance and a strong credit rating, the organization could finance growth without relinquishing ownership of its competitions.
UEFA’s objections and the threat to withdraw its members left Infantino with limited options. ESPN reported he shelved the plan late Friday. It remains unclear whether Infantino will remain FIFA president, face a vote of no confidence, withdraw his candidacy or contest next March’s election; ESPN’s Mark Ogden laid out those possible outcomes.
