FIFA World Cup plans: Gianni Infantino abandons private investment proposal amid widespread opposition

FIFA World Cup plans: Gianni Infantino abandons private investment proposal amid widespread opposition

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Infantino was elected Fifa president in 2016, defeating AFC president Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa by 115 votes to 88.

The next Fifa president is due to be confirmed at the organisation’s 77th Congress in Morocco next March. Anyone wishing to stand must submit their candidacy by 18 November.

Before this week’s developments, Infantino had been expected to secure another term without opposition. Football associations across the world, including several in Europe, had already announced plans to support him.

Whether this week’s events will prompt many of those associations to withdraw their backing remains uncertain.

In his statement, Infantino repeated that the initiative was intended to reinforce member associations, particularly in nations requiring the greatest assistance.

He said the organisation’s objective had always been, and would continue to be, bringing people together and driving improvement.

Nevertheless, the proposal evidently caused disagreement within Fifa.

Cordeiro, who represented the global governing body on the White House task force for the 2026 World Cup, became the first high-ranking Fifa official to step down because of the plans.

In a detailed statement, Cordeiro expressed his firm opposition to the initiative and rejected the argument that Fifa required external investors to increase its value. He also said he had played no part in developing the proposal.

Infantino is believed to have kept even some of Fifa’s eight vice-presidents unaware of the plan, which reportedly had the potential to generate $10bn (£7.5bn).

Lamour described the initiative as the work of a single individual. He argued that a president should unite, motivate and bring people together, whereas this proposal had achieved the reverse.

He added that he was prepared to lose his position as a result and would accept and respect such an outcome, knowing he had acted according to his principles.

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