FIFA主席詹尼·因凡蒂诺提出的向私人投资者出售世界杯股权计划已被撤回[3]。该方案原计划创建200亿美元的FIFA Forward Enterprise子公司，向私募基金出售最多20%的股权[2]。因凡蒂诺曾要求各足球协会在9月19日前批准该计划，并向支持的协会承诺提供4000万美元[2]。
这一提议立即遭到国际足球界的广泛反对。FIFA首席运营官凯文·拉莫尔公开批评该方案为"一个人的项目"，并指称员工遭到欺骗[1]。因凡蒂诺的资深顾问卡洛斯·科德罗于周五辞职抗议，称这是"对足球的坏交易"[2]。欧洲足球协会的55个成员国全票投票，宣布除非计划撤回，否则将抵制所有FIFA赛事，包括世界杯[2]。亚足联和中北美足联随后也表示反对[3]。这三大洲足协共拥有143个成员协会，超过FIFA 211个成员的半数[2]。英国首相伯纳姆批评因凡蒂诺是"领导这个组织的错误人选"[2]。
面对这一强烈反弹，因凡蒂诺在声明中表示，该项目造成的分歧已不再符合初期目标的利益，因而决定放弃该计划[3]。
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has withdrawn his proposal to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors, citing divisions that undermined the initiative's original purpose [3]. The plan would have created a $20 billion commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise with up to 20 percent ownership transferred to external investors, led by Thrive Capital [2][3].
The proposal faced fierce opposition from football's regional confederations. UEFA's 55 member nations voted unanimously on Thursday to boycott all FIFA events, including the World Cup, unless the plan was scrapped [2]. The AFC and CONCACAF subsequently joined in condemning the scheme [3]. Within FIFA's own leadership, Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour publicly criticized the proposal as "the project of one person," alleging that employees had been deceived [1][2]. Infantino's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned on Friday in protest, stating he could not stand by while FIFA considered selling a stake in the World Cup [1][3].
Infantino had offered member associations $40 million each to approve the plan by a September 19 deadline [2]. The 56-year-old Infantino is expected to seek re-election next year, with a November 18 deadline for potential challengers to declare their candidacy [1].