UEFA loses faith in Infantino after FIFA scraps investment plan

UEFA’s rupture with Gianni Infantino sharpened on Friday after FIFA scrapped a controversial plan to sell private stakes in a new $20 billion subsidiary tied to World Cup business. The move ended a proposal that had already pushed Europe’s governing body toward a boycott vote and exposed a widening fight over who controls football’s money and decisions.

The backlash built quickly after regional confederations said they were blindsided by the plan, which would have monetised World Cup-related assets through private investment. By Wednesday, UEFA was accelerating efforts to call an emergency meeting of its 55 member associations to discuss the proposal, and on Thursday UEFA voted to boycott FIFA competitions if the plan went forward. Concacaf also rejected the idea the same day, showing the resistance extended well beyond Europe.

FIFA then dropped the sell-off plan after pressure from members. The proposal had faced a September 19 deadline for approval, leaving FIFA with a fast-moving internal confrontation that now looks less like a single financing dispute than a governance crisis at the top of world soccer. UEFA’s loss of confidence in Infantino underscores how badly the consultation process broke down with one of FIFA’s most powerful confederations.

The internal damage deepened further when FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff had been deceived over the plan. That accusation added to concerns that the project had been advanced without trust inside the organization, not just outside it. Other reporting also said Infantino argued the proposal had created divisions that were no longer in the interest of the game.

For sponsors, broadcasters and national associations that depend on FIFA events, the dispute matters because World Cup business sits at the center of the sport’s commercial model. A plan to bring in private capital against those assets raised questions about how far FIFA could go in leveraging the tournament that fans actually watch while still maintaining confidence in tournament oversight, competitive credibility and institutional control. With UEFA openly breaking ranks and FIFA retreating, the fight over World Cup money has become a test of who governs the game itself.