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3h ago

FIFA Withdraws Plan to Sell World Cup Stakes After Internal Revolt

The reversal follows an emergency Morocco meeting, exposing internal splits, resignations, accusations of conditioned aid, growing federation opposition and a pledged governance review.

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Overview

  • FIFA officially abandoned the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal and Gianni Infantino apologized on Wednesday, saying errors were made in how the plan was developed and leaked to the press.
  • The shelved proposal would have pooled FIFA’s commercial assets and sought to sell a 20% stake to private investors, a deal pitched to raise up to $4.2 billion on a $20 billion valuation.
  • Senior officials publicly distanced themselves: Secretary‑General Mattias Grafström sent a scathing internal email, Arsène Wenger said cancellation was necessary, and presidential adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest.
  • Political fallout has grown as several national federations withdrew support for Infantino, high‑profile figures called for his removal, and the Jordan FA accused FIFA of conditioning financial help on political backing.
  • FIFA’s leadership issued a joint letter backing Infantino and promised a review and report to the Council, but the episode has left trust frayed and could reshape alliance building ahead of the March 2027 presidency contest; an unconfirmed Times report about a 2030‑final promise to Morocco has added reputational risk.