FIFA president Gianni Infantino's attempt to open the door to private investment in the World Cup and other competitions has fallen apart after strong resistance from within football's power structure. The proposal involved selling minority stakes in major FIFA tournaments, but it quickly ran into criticism rather than consensus.
According to the report, UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation were firmly against the idea. The remaining confederations did not provide the kind of backing needed to push such a sensitive commercial move forward, leaving the plan without meaningful support across the game's regional leadership.
The backlash was not limited to current confederation figures. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter also reportedly attacked the proposal, adding another prominent critical voice to an already difficult debate. That response underscored how controversial it would be to bring outside investors into events as important as the World Cup.
The collapse of the plan highlights the tension between FIFA's search for new revenue models and the concerns many football leaders have about ownership, influence and control over the sport's biggest tournaments. For now, Infantino's effort to sell minority stakes appears to have stalled in the face of broad opposition.
