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Following an enormous global backlash and boycott threats from 55 UEFA members, FIFA has abandoned its original plans to sell shares in the World Cup via FIFA Forward Enterprises.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the decision Friday evening, confirming that the proposal had become too contentious to realistically move forward with in its current form.
The statement and decision arrived less than 24 hours after FIFA had pledged to press ahead with the plans despite the surrounding controversy.
"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," Infantino said through FIFA on Friday. "Our purpose has always been—and will always be—to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed."
While the plan is shelved for now, the proposed idea has deeply fractured the soccer world and further tarnished Infantino's standing among the public and the 211 FIFA member associations. It also likely means the Italian will no longer run unopposed in the 2027 FIFA Presidential Elections.
Why Was FIFA's Plan Canceled?
Shortly after releasing the late-night statement on Thursday, the Asian Football Confederation issued a statement declaring that it stood in solidarity with UEFA and Concacaf, joining the growing opposition against FIFA's plans.
While UEFA was the only confederation to go as far as threatening a unified boycott among its 55 members—the largest of any confederation—Concacaf unanimously rejected the proposal, before Mexico reversed course and suggested it might be open to the plan pending further review and consultation.
With the AFC, UEFA and Concacaf, along with other individual member associations voicing opposition, it became evident that the plan would not secure enough votes and could further jeopardize Infantino's re-election prospects in 2027.
In total, at least 137 of the 211 members appeared set to vote against the plan, which would have required at least 106 votes in favor to pass.
Infantino Loses Key Support
Earlier on Friday, Infantino suffered additional setbacks when a senior advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned from his position and criticized the plan, stating that FFE would be "a bad deal for FIFA's Member Associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game."
Additionally, FIFA's chief operating officer Kevin Lamour told the Associated Press that he felt FIFA staff had been "deceived." Shortly after, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter also publicly condemned the statement online.
Given the deep divisions and fierce opposition, it became virtually impossible for FIFA to advance the FFE plans without causing further damage to the future of the sport and its tournaments.
What Happens to Infantino's Presidency?
Infantino's future has never been more uncertain. After announcing his intention to seek a fourth term in April at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, it had been widely anticipated that he would run unopposed as he did in 2019 and 2023, with many Member Associations having already verbally pledged their support ahead of the World Cup.
Now, despite overseeing a tournament that generated record revenues of $15 billion, it appears that challengers may emerge to contest the March election, which will be held in Morocco.
While no candidates have formally declared, potential nominees must have played an active role in the sport for at least two of the five years prior to their nomination. In recent days, Victor Montagliani, one of FIFA's eight vice-presidents and president of Concacaf, has surfaced as a potential contender, while some have urged UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who also chairs European Football Clubs, to put their names forward.
Nominations for the election must be submitted by November, and if contested, it would mark the first time since 2015 that more than one candidate appeared on the ballot. Should more than two be nominated, it would be only the fifth occasion in history that members would need to choose between more than two nominees.
So the World Cup Is Safe?
Yes. For now, the World Cup is safe, as no confederations are planning to boycott the tournament so long as it remains under the sole ownership and operation of FIFA and its members, as has always been the case.
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The first consequence of UEFA's boycott would have been felt as early as September at the U-20 Women's World Cup, while qualification matches for the 2027 Women's World Cup later this year also appeared to be at risk.
On the men's side, FIFA is still expected to expedite the expansion of the tournament to 64 teams for the 2030 edition, which is scheduled to be held across UEFA members Spain and Portugal, as well as Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.