Infantino under pressure as Uefa demands accountability over failed World Cup plan
The proposal sought to place Fifa’s commercial operations, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, into a $20 billion company with 20% owned by private investors
Uefa has declared it has no confidence in Fifa President Gianni Infantino after he abandoned a controversial plan to sell a stake in World Cup profits to private investors, deepening a leadership crisis in world football.
The proposal sought to place Fifa's commercial operations, including the men's and women's World Cups, into a $20 billion company with 20% owned by private investors. The plan collapsed yesterday (2 August) following strong opposition from Uefa, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), CONCACAF and an internal revolt within Fifa.
Aleksander Čeferin, Uefa President, said the current Fifa leadership had lost the confidence of Europe and many others in global football, insisting those responsible for the proposal must be held accountable. CONCACAF also demanded a full review of Fifa's leadership, calling the initiative another example of poor governance.
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The backlash intensified after Fifa senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour criticized the proposal as the project of "one person."
Infantino has previously withdrawn controversial plans, including a $25 billion SoftBank-backed competition in 2018 and a biennial World Cup proposal in 2021.
Despite being re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023, Infantino now faces mounting pressure ahead of Fifa's next presidential election. Candidate nominations close on Nov. 18, with the vote scheduled for March in Rabat, Morocco. Qatar's Football Association backed Infantino's decision to withdraw the proposal, saying unity should take priority.
