Infantino Scraps FIFA's $20 Billion World Cup Investment Plan After Global Backlash

FIFA President Gianni Infantino reversed course on August 1, 2026, abandoning one of the most controversial proposals in the organization's history after facing fierce global opposition from football's governing bodies.

What Was the FIFA Forward Enterprise Plan?

The plan, known as "FIFA Forward Enterprise" (FFE), aimed to create a new commercial subsidiary valued at roughly $20 billion to manage FIFA's revenue-generating operations, including broadcasting rights, ticketing, hospitality, and both the men's and women's World Cups. The proposal sought to raise approximately $4.2 billion by selling a 20% stake to private investors, led by an anchor investor group under Joshua Kushner's firm, Thrive Eternal.

FIFA had also offered each of its 211 member associations an upfront payment of $20 million if they approved the plan in a vote originally scheduled for September 19, along with doubled annual stipends.

Why Did the Plan Face Global Backlash?

The proposal was met with immediate and forceful opposition from football's largest governing bodies:

• UEFA, representing 55 member associations across Europe, threatened to boycott all FIFA tournaments
• CONCACAF, the governing body for North and Central American football, formally rejected the proposal
• The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also rejected the plan

Internal Resignations and Criticism Within FIFA

The backlash wasn't limited to outside opposition. Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino, resigned in protest, calling the proposal "a bad deal for football." FIFA's Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, also publicly criticized the plan, describing it as "the project of one person" and stating that FIFA's own staff had been deceived about it.

Infantino's Announcement

In his statement announcing the reversal, Infantino said that after listening carefully to all the views, it had become clear the project had created divisions that no longer served its original purpose, adding that "this proposal will not proceed."

UEFA responded by saying "some things are simply too important to sell," describing the initiative as a secretive, poorly handled deal and stating that the current leadership had lost its confidence.

What This Means for Infantino's Future

Even though the plan has been shelved, Infantino's own political standing within FIFA remains uncertain. Several UK politicians and European officials have publicly called for his resignation, and it remains unclear whether he can secure a smooth path to re-election at FIFA's upcoming Congress in Rabat, Morocco, despite reportedly retaining broad support across the organization's 211 member associations.