Gianni Infantino abandons FIFA private investment plan after UEFA revolt – Portugal Resident

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has abandoned plans to open the governing body to private investment following fierce opposition led by UEFA, a decision that also affects the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) as one of the European confederation’s member associations.

Infantino announced today (Saturday) that FIFA would withdraw its proposal after acknowledging it had failed to unite the global football community.

“After listening carefully to all points of view, it became clear that the project had created divisions that no longer served its original purpose,” he said in a statement. “Our objective has always been, and always will be, to unite and progress. The proposal will therefore not be adopted.”

The plan, unveiled earlier this week, would have created a new commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), open to private investors. FIFA had hoped to raise up to $4.2 billion (€3.6 billion) by selling a minority stake of up to 20%, with the aim of increasing funding for global football development to $10 billion (€8.7 billion) over the next four years.

The proposal sparked widespread criticism, with opponents warning it could commercialise football further and create potential conflicts of interest.

UEFA, of which Portugal is a member alongside 54 other national associations, led the opposition. On Thursday, the European confederation unanimously threatened to boycott future FIFA competitions, including the men’s World Cup, unless the proposal was dropped.

The stance carried particular weight given that UEFA represents seven of the last 10 men’s World Cup winners and many of the sport’s wealthiest and most influential federations.

Other confederations also voiced concerns. CONCACAF, representing North America, Central America and the Caribbean, rejected the proposal outright, while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) concluded it lacked the broad consensus needed to proceed.

South America’s CONMEBOL called for further clarification, urging FIFA to ensure “football is always placed above any other interest”. The African and Oceania confederations took a more cautious approach, encouraging their member federations to study the proposal before reaching a position.

The reversal comes at a difficult time for Infantino, whose leadership has recently come under scrutiny following the resignation of his chief adviser, Carlos Cordeiro. The former US Soccer president quit in protest over the private investment proposal, saying he could not support the sale of a stake in the World Cup and arguing that FIFA already had ample financial resources without bringing in outside investors.

The decision is particularly significant for Portugal, which is preparing to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Morocco. With planning for the tournament already under way, the withdrawal of the proposal removes the prospect of private investors gaining a stake in the competition’s commercial operations, preserving the existing governance model for the first World Cup to be staged across the three neighbouring countries.