FIFA President Gianni Infantino has withdrawn his proposal to sell minority stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors, conceding that the initiative had produced divisions no longer aligned with its original purpose.
The reversal follows intense resistance from across the sport. UEFA members unanimously threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions unless the plan was scrapped, while the European body declared that Infantino had lost its confidence. Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation also rejected or condemned the scheme. Infantino's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest, and FIFA's chief operating officer Kevin Lamour accused him of deceiving staff. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham called Infantino the wrong person to lead the organization.
FIFA had offered member associations $40 million each to back the measure by September 19.