FIFA’s Infantino Scraps World Cup Investment Plan. But Is It Too Little, Too Late?

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has canceled plans to sell shares in a new commercial venture linked to the World Cup following widespread criticism from soccer organizations and high-profile individuals in the sport. The decision came after UEFA, the European governing body, vowed to boycott future FIFA events if the proposal proceeded, leading top advisor Carlos Cordeiro to resign in protest.

Infantino stated that the project had created divisions that were no longer in the best interest of FIFA's objectives to unite and improve the game. Despite the reversal, UEFA and CONCACAF, the governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean soccer, remain critical of the underlying premise and assert they will seek methods to prevent similar attempts in the future.

This controversy may impact Infantino's chances of being reelected in 2027, with some speculating potential rivals, such as Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa from the Asian Football Confederation and Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, may challenge him for the position.