Fifa scraps World Cup sell-off plan: Infantino under pressure as Cordeiro resigns and Uefa threatens boycott

1 August 2026 | Zurich, London, New York — Updated 18:30 GMT

Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell chunks of the World Cup to private investors has sensationally collapsed, with the Fifa president admitting the project "has created divisions of a nature that are no longer of the interest of the objective", amid widespread anger globally.

The plan had caused ructions within football around the world, leading Uefa to threaten a boycott of future Fifa tournaments if it was not shelved. Other confederations had also come out in opposition while one of Infantino's senior advisors, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned on Friday in protest at the scheme.

The Fifa chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, had also aimed a scathing rebuke at Infantino's "serious lack of respect" in seeking to force it through with minimal consultation.

"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 in a statement.

Welcome to the latest sports news — where Fifa's World Cup sell-off plan has been defeated by a united football world.

Fifa Scraps Controversial World Cup Sell-Off Plan

Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell chunks of the World Cup to private investors has sensationally collapsed, with the Fifa president admitting the project "has created divisions of a nature that are no longer of the interest of the objective", amid widespread anger globally.

The plan had caused ructions within football around the world, leading Uefa to threaten a boycott of future Fifa tournaments if it was not shelved. Other confederations had also come out in opposition while one of Infantino's senior advisors, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned on Friday in protest at the scheme.

The Fifa chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, had also aimed a scathing rebuke at Infantino's "serious lack of respect" in seeking to force it through with minimal consultation.

Uefa Threatens Boycott as Confederations Unite Against Plan

It has led Infantino to back down amid speculation the venture capital firm Thrive Capital, which was leading the proposed investor group, had also expressed doubts after a week that threatened to tear the sport apart. Infantino's previously secure presidency has come under severe pressure and it remains to be seen whether his climbdown will be enough to save his position.

The proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), unveiled earlier this week, had been intended to raise hundreds of millions of dollars by selling a significant stake in the commercial rights of the men's and women's World Cups, and the Club World Cup, to investors. It promised an increase in distribution to "over $10bn" (£7.5bn) being spread back among Fifa's 211 member associations. A deadline of 19 September had been set for member associations to sign up to the scheme, which offered an optional $20m (£14.8m) to those participating.

But the plan was roundly rejected by European countries' FAs, who agreed upon a boycott at an emergency meeting on Thursday. Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, the latter with a stinging statement on Friday morning, had also made their distaste clear. While Infantino retains a stronghold in Africa he was left with nowhere to go, the numbers to push through the plan in any credible form having eluded him.

Cordeiro Resigns: 'A Bad Deal for Football'

The resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino's senior advisers since 2021, struck a fresh blow upon Infantino hours after Uefa's 55 members had unanimously threatened a boycott. Cordeiro, a former US Soccer chief, said Infantino had proposed "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".

He questioned the lack of transparency in Fifa's process and pointed out that the governing body is sitting on vast debt-free reserves that could be used to fund development.

"Why this deal?" he asked. "Why now? What oversight exists? Who benefits? Was there a competitive process? What governance will be in place? What will investors ultimately gain, and at what cost to football?"

Lamour: 'A Serious Lack of Respect'

But an extraordinary statement later in the day by Kevin Lamour, Fifa's current chief operating officer, may have inflicted a more serious wound. Lamour, a close associate of Infantino at Fifa and during their previous spells at Uefa, said staff and other stakeholders had been "deceived" by the president and said he would tolerate being sacked for expressing his views.

"What has been announced in recent days and what has been happening behind the scenes in recent months defies belief and imagination," Lamour said. "To put it very clearly and directly: the project that has sparked so much controversy and debate is not a Fifa project. It is even less a project of Fifa's administration. It is the project of one person.

"The Fifa vice-presidents, the members of the Fifa Council, the confederations, the federations, the players, the leagues, the clubs, and the fans were not the only ones who were ignored. Fifa's own administration was also deceived.

"This lie by omission over many months and this unilateral exercise of power are not trivial. They are indicative of a lack of trust, a lack of transparency, a lack of discernment, a lack of good governance. And a serious lack of respect."

Infantino's Future in Doubt as Confederations Seek Alternative Candidates

Attention will now turn to Infantino's future given the scale of the internal revolt within Fifa and the severe hit his standing has taken elsewhere. It is unlikely his withdrawal of the plan will sway member associations who had already become deeply disenchanted by his handling of the Folarin Balogun affair, which unfolded three weeks previously during the World Cup.

Uefa and other confederations have stepped up their search for candidates to run against Infantino in next year's Fifa election, in which he had been expected to comfortably win a fourth term. Their appetite is unlikely to change and time will tell whether Infantino can turn his fortunes around after an episode that has had a shattering impact on his credibility.

Any Europe-backed candidate for the Fifa presidency election in March is likely to hail from a different continent, with the Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani, and AFC president, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, among possible contenders. The latter lost narrowly to Infantino in the 2016 election.

---

Stay updated with the latest sports news, Fifa developments, and football politics on our Sports Page.