When Gianni Infantino unveiled a $20 billion scheme to place the World Cup under a private investment vehicle, the reaction was swift and global. The proposal, which would have turned FIFA into FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and attracted investors such as Joshua Kushner, immediately drew fire from 55 countries across Europe, Asia, North America and Central America.
A Plan That Shook Global Football
European football’s governing body, UEFA, described the arrangement as a "shabby, back‑room" deal and warned that the World Cup "belongs to football" and "will never be for sale". The statement forced Infantino to retreat, admitting that the project had created "divisions" and that it would not proceed.
The fallout extended beyond UEFA. FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, later characterized the initiative as "the project of one person", underscoring the isolation of the president within the organization. Carlos Cordeiro, who had worked with Infantino on the White House Task Force, resigned, saying he could not support selling a stake in the tournament.
The controversy reverberates through FIFA’s recent history, recalling the resignation of Sepp Blatter amid earlier scandals. As the global football community, including Europe’s influential leagues, questions Infantino’s leadership, the episode highlights the tension between ambitious financial restructuring and the sport’s traditional governance.
In the end, the private‑investment plan collapsed under the weight of continental opposition and institutional scrutiny, leaving FIFA to confront how such secret schemes might be prevented in the future.