Infantino Backtracks
Abrupt U-turn! FIFA Abandons Investor Plans
FIFA, the world soccer governing body, is abandoning its controversial investor plans. The proposal will not be pursued further, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated in a press release.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen “After carefully listening to all points of view, it has become clear that the project has led to divisions that—regardless of the level of support—are no longer in the interest of the original goal,” Infantino said, explaining his abrupt about-face.
FIFA’s plans, spearheaded by its powerful president Infantino, had envisaged generating billions through the potential sale of a portion of its commercial rights, such as those related to the World Cup. To implement this, FIFA intended to establish the subsidiary FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) . According to reports, the world governing body set a deadline of September 19 for approval of the planned investor deal and promised a special payment in return. All of that is now off the table.
Infantino went on to explain that FIFA’s goal is always to unite and improve. “Therefore, this proposal will not be pursued further.” It is his intention to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks “in the spirit of a shared interest in our sport, with the goal of further advancing soccer everywhere, especially in those countries that need our support most urgently.”
UEFA Threatens World Cup Boycott
FIFA thus yieldedtothe pressure that had been mounting in recent days. The European soccer governing body, UEFA, had not only strongly criticized the plans but had even threatened a World Cup boycott. “No national teams from UEFA will participate in any FIFA competition as long as these proposals remain in place,” UEFA announced following an emergency meeting.
“Europe’s position is clear. We will never lend our legitimacy to this model. No one has the moral right to sell something that they are merely managing in trust for the next generation,” wrote the European soccer union.
CONCACAF, which oversees North and Central America and the Caribbean, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also clearly distanced themselves from Infantino and his plans. The South American soccer confederation CONMEBOL, on the other hand, did not initially take a substantive position. Instead, the continental confederation announced that it would continue to review the plans and requested additional information from FIFA.
High-Ranking Infantino Advisor Resigns
Furthermore, support for President Infantino began to crumble even within FIFA. Carlos Cordeiro, a high-ranking advisor to the 56-year-old,resignedin protest against the proposal. In doing so, he chose strong words. “As a senior advisor to the FIFA president, a former banker, and a lifelong soccer fan, I cannot stand idly by and watch as FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” the top official wrote on LinkedIn.
The former president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, who has been working for FIFA since 2021, also wrote: “It’s a bad deal for the FIFA member associations, a bad deal for soccer, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the sport.” This deal will not go through.
Burnham Calls for Infantino’s Removal
But even with his about-face, it could be difficult for Infantino to remain at the helm of world soccer’s governing body. After the plans became public, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham openly called for Infantino’s removal. The Swiss national is “the wrong man” to lead the world governing body, said the new head of government.
UEFA Vice President Laura McAllister told Sky News that, following the harsh criticism of the investor plans, the global consensus against the proposals gives FIFA some indication of what matters to the players, the fans, the clubs, and the officials when it comes to how soccer will be shaped in the future. “I hope this serves as a wake-up call for the president and FIFA, so that they take these responsibilities far more seriously than they apparently have so far.”
Infantino is also under pressure over another matter: During the World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, he came under heavy criticism for a suspension of U.S. forward Folarin Balogun that was rescinded following a call from U.S. President Donald Trump. This allowed the player to compete in the round of 16—an extremely unusual move. According to FIFA, the controversial decision was made by the formally independent Disciplinary Committee.
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