KATHMANDU: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced that the governing body has abandoned its controversial proposal to sell stakes in major football tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, following strong opposition from member associations and regional confederations.
Infantino said the proposal would not move forward after it became clear that it had created divisions within world football and no longer served its original purpose, BBC reported.
The plan had offered each of FIFA’s 211 member associations up to USD 40 million in exchange for supporting private investment in FIFA competitions. The proposal drew criticism from several major football bodies.
UEFA, which represents 55 European associations, had voted to boycott future World Cups if the proposal was implemented. Concacaf, covering North, Central America and the Caribbean, also rejected the plan, while the Asian Football Confederation later declared solidarity with UEFA and Concacaf.
The controversy triggered significant turmoil within FIFA. Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour said the organization’s own administration had been misled about the project, and senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, calling the proposal “a bad deal for football” that would mortgage the sport’s future.
Infantino had initially defended the proposal, insisting that “nobody is selling football.” However, the combined opposition of UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC would have represented 136 votes against the plan, making approval by the required majority highly unlikely.
The FIFA president, who is seeking a fourth term in office ahead of the FIFA Congress next March, said he now intends to bring all stakeholders back together in a spirit of cooperation and shared interest for the future of football.
(Inputs from BBC)
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