FIFA announced on Thursday that it would abandon the ambitious scheme to sell World Cup shares through a new venture called FIFA Forward Enterprises, a move that came after a wave of criticism from more than half of its European members and threats of widespread boycotts.
A proposal that unraveled
President Gianni Infantino, who had championed the initiative as a way to diversify revenue, said the project had created divisions that were no longer in the organization’s interest. The decision followed intense pressure from UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, which together accounted for a majority of the 211 member associations prepared to vote against the plan.
At least 137 of those members were poised to reject the proposal, well short of the 106‑vote threshold needed for approval. The backlash was so severe that Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to Infantino, resigned, calling the Forward Enterprises plan a "bad deal" for the sport’s governing body.
FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, later accused staff of being "deceived" about the scheme, underscoring the internal turmoil that accompanied the public reversal.
The fallout also reached beyond the boardroom. Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter publicly criticized the proposal, further eroding its credibility, while Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf, emerged as a potential challenger to Infantino’s bid for a fourth term.
UEFA warned that a unified boycott could begin as early as September, jeopardizing not only the men’s tournament but also the upcoming U‑20 Women’s World Cup and the qualification cycle for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Despite reporting a record $15 billion in revenue from the most recent World Cup, FIFA has faced growing dissent over Infantino’s leadership, with critics arguing that financial success does not mask governance concerns.
Looking ahead
The organization has already outlined plans to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, with matches scheduled across Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Meanwhile, nomination papers for the 2027 FIFA Presidential Election must be submitted by November, with the vote set for March in Morocco.
Potential candidates include Aleksander Čeferin, the UEFA president, and Nasser Al‑Khelaifi, who leads Paris Saint‑Germain, both of whom could shape the next era of FIFA’s governance.