FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the governing body has abandoned plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors following widespread opposition to the proposal.
Infantino said FIFA had reviewed feedback from various stakeholders and concluded that the initiative had created divisions that were no longer aligned with its original objectives.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” Infantino said on Friday.
The proposed stake sale had drawn criticism from parts of the football community over concerns about private involvement in one of the sport’s most valuable events.
Reuters reported that the decision came after FIFA faced significant backlash over the plan, prompting the organisation to reconsider the move.
Infantino did not provide further details on whether FIFA would explore alternative commercial strategies for the World Cup in the future.
