Algerian Radio
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on Saturday the withdrawal of the proposal to open the association to private investors, following boycott threats from UEFA and firm opposition from the Asian and American confederations.
"After listening carefully to all viewpoints, it has become clear that the project created divisions (...) which are no longer in the interest of the initial objective," Gianni Infantino said in a statement. "This proposal will therefore not be pursued."
"Our goal has always been, and will always be, to unite and progress. Therefore, the proposal will not be retained," the leader announced.
Presented on Tuesday to general surprise, the FIFA plan, which aimed to bring funding for football development to ten billion dollars over the next four years, was sharply criticized for both its substance and its form.
Infantino intended to create a company—FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE)—open to private investors, which would have been responsible for managing the commercial and event activities of the world football governing body.
The idea sparked a backlash, particularly from the powerful UEFA, which represents 55 European federations and includes seven of the last ten world champions. On Thursday, it had "unanimously" threatened to boycott future FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the association did not abandon the project.
CONCACAF, composed of 41 federations from North and Central America and the Caribbean, also "rejected the proposal." Its Asian counterpart, the AFC, followed suit on Friday, stating that the plan "could not achieve the broad consensus and unity necessary to move forward."
FIFA had hoped to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling shares in FFE to private entities, which it claimed would have remained minority shareholders at up to 20%.
Had the project been realized, each of FIFA's 211 member federations could have received an exceptional payment of $20 million in early 2027, and seen its funding for the 2027–2030 period increase from $8 million to $20 million.
