World football's governing body, FIFA, has scrapped plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors following widespread backlash from member associations.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement on Friday, July 31st, 2026: "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."

The original proposal aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion USD (approximately $5.9 billion AUD) by selling about a 20 percent stake in a new commercial unit that would manage FIFA events, including the World Cup, valuing the unit at $20 billion USD.

European football's governing body, UEFA, led the opposition, accusing FIFA of putting the sport's "soul" up for sale. On Thursday, August 1st, UEFA's 55 member nations voted unanimously to boycott all FIFA tournaments unless the plan was withdrawn, less than two weeks after Spain were crowned world champions.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF also condemned the plans, urging FIFA to review its management style, though they stopped short of threatening a boycott.

Infantino, who has faced criticism for his close ties to United States President Donald Trump during the 2026 World Cup, had reportedly offered federations $40 million (€35 million) to support the measure by September 19th.

Following the backlash, FIFA confirmed it will not proceed with the proposal to sell a piece of its business empire to outside investors.

Sources