ZURICH, Switzerland — FIFA President Gianni Infantino has withdrawn the governing body’s controversial proposal to bring private investment into the commercial operations of the FIFA World Cup, acknowledging that the plan had created deep divisions within global football.
In a statement released on Saturday, Infantino said the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project would no longer proceed after consultations revealed that it had become a source of significant disagreement among football stakeholders.
“The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed,” Infantino said.
He noted that the proposal had always been subject to consultations with FIFA’s 211 member associations, the FIFA Council, continental confederations and other stakeholders, and would only move forward if it secured majority support.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” he said.
“As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
The decision follows an extraordinary backlash led by UEFA, whose 55 member associations unanimously voted to boycott future FIFA men’s and women’s World Cups if the proposal went ahead.
UEFA argued that FIFA had no moral authority to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup, insisting that football’s governing bodies are custodians—not owners—of the sport’s most prestigious competition.
Under the proposal announced earlier this week, FIFA planned to establish a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to manage the commercial and operational rights of its flagship tournaments while attracting billions of dollars in private investment.
FIFA had argued that the initiative would generate additional resources for football development, particularly in emerging football nations, with proceeds earmarked for infrastructure, youth development, women’s football and support for member associations.
However, critics warned that introducing private investors into the commercial structure of the World Cup risked undermining football’s governance and prioritising commercial interests over the game’s long-term integrity.
Following the withdrawal of the proposal, Infantino said his focus would now shift to rebuilding unity across world football.
“Our purpose has always been—and will always be—to unite and improve,” he said.
“Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.”
The decision ends one of the most contentious governance disputes in recent FIFA history and averts what could have become an unprecedented split between FIFA and UEFA over the future ownership and commercial direction of the World Cup.
