Real Madrid welcome scrapping of Fifa’s World Cup investor plan

Real Madrid welcomed FIFA's decision on Sunday to abandon its controversial plan to permit private investment in the World Cup. The Spanish football giants expressed their gratitude to UEFA, confederations, federations, and all institutions that firmly and responsibly opposed the plan. Real Madrid's statement emphasized that this news is beneficial for football, its institutions, and most importantly, the millions of fans who adore the sport.

The club acknowledged that the unanimous opposition from these entities has protected football at a critical juncture.

Notably, Real Madrid, who were founding members of the aborted European Super League project, announced in February 2026 that they had reached an agreement with UEFA for the betterment of European club football, thus resolving years of strained relations between the two entities. On Tuesday, FIFA unveiled plans to establish a commercial subsidiary to manage its largest events, including the World Cup and Club World Cup, with this entity open to private investment, potentially raising $4.2 billion.

UEFA led the opposition to FIFA's plan, vowing a boycott of all FIFA competitions and expressing loss of confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has faced intense pressure recently.