FIFA has abandoned plans to sell stakes in a new company that would have handled the commercial and operational side of its competitions, ending Gianni Infantino's FIFA Forward Enterprise project before it could move ahead. The proposal had been presented as a major structural change in the way FIFA's events could be managed and monetized.
The idea centred on creating a separate business vehicle linked to FIFA competitions and bringing in outside investors through the sale of stakes. Instead of moving forward, however, the plan rapidly unravelled in recent days, forcing world football's governing body to step back from the initiative.
The reversal is a notable setback for Infantino, who had backed the project as part of a broader effort to reshape FIFA's commercial model. By dropping the stake-sale element, FIFA has effectively pulled the plug on one of the most closely watched business proposals surrounding its tournaments.
For now, FIFA remains in control of the commercial and operational running of its competitions without the new enterprise structure it had explored. The collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan leaves fresh questions about how far the governing body can go in reorganising the business side of global football under Infantino's leadership.
