FIFA scraps World Cup privatisation push after confederation revolt

Infantino announced the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme on Tuesday, which would have bundled the sale of FIFA's commercial rights—broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing—alongside tournament operations. Member associations faced a September 19 deadline to approve the deal, sweetened by a £30.1m incentive.

The proposal drew ferocious opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham calling for FIFA to review its governance. Faced with this coalition of resistance, Infantino walked back the initiative in a statement early Saturday.

"Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions," he wrote, according to Sky Sports. He pledged to reunite stakeholders "in the spirit of shared interest in our game."

AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa welcomed the retreat, emphasising that future initiatives must follow "proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for established governance structures." UEFA reiterated that such schemes cannot be fast-tracked without consultation in future—though it stopped short of explicitly backing Infantino's continued leadership. The confederation's statement thanked fans, leagues, clubs and world leaders who opposed "a scheme" and called for accountability from those responsible.