FIFA cancels controversial World Cup ticket sales as Gianni Infantino shares a statement
FIFA has dropped their plans for the controversial Forward Enterprise after a lot of people spoke out against it. Gianni Infantino shared a statement explaining why they changed their minds.
FIFA had planned to let outside parties buy small shares in a new company called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would handle the commercial rights for all future tournaments. They hoped to raise about £3.1 billion by selling these minority shares, valuing FFE at around £15 billion.
Infantino even offered incentives to member associations that supported the idea, promising to release £30 million, with £15 million paid on January 1.
But many football organizations, including UEFA, were very unhappy. UEFA said FIFA was trying to make money off football unfairly and made it clear football doesn’t belong to FIFA to sell.
On July 30, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin led a meeting with all 55 European members, like England, France, and Spain. They all agreed to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the plan went ahead. Other groups like Concacaf and AFC also rejected the proposal.
On July 31, some senior FIFA staff spoke out against the plan. Carlos Cordeiro, an advisor to Infantino, resigned, saying he couldn’t support selling a stake in the World Cup. Later that day, FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, accused Infantino of misleading staff. The UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, also said Infantino wasn’t the right person to lead global football.
Just after midnight on August 1, FIFA released a statement from Infantino confirming they would not move forward with the plans. Infantino said the project was meant to help FIFA Member Associations, especially in countries that need support most. But after listening to everyone’s views, they realized the plan was causing divisions and wasn’t in the sport’s best interest. Infantino promised to bring everyone together soon to work on growing football in a way that unites everyone.
It’s still not clear what this means for Infantino’s future — he plans to run for re-election in 2027.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, AFC president, welcomed the decision, saying the future of football should always be shaped through proper talks and respect for the game’s rules.
Football Australia’s chair, Anter Isaac, also praised the decision, saying football’s core values like integrity, independence, good governance, and transparency should never change. He added that these values don’t hold back progress but make lasting progress possible. Isaac said the strength of football depends on trust, earned through honest decisions and fair processes. Now, he said, everyone’s focus should be on the future.