Infantino insists FIFA’s World Cup plan is proposal and not ‘obligation’
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended a proposal to sell a 20% stake in a new $20bn subsidiary to private investors, calling it an opportunity rather than an obligation. The plan has faced backlash from regional football confederations concerned about external interference.
Why it matters
The potential privatization of World Cup assets represents a major shift in the commercial governance of global sports.
Football governing bodies hit out at plans to sell World Cup stakes; FIFA insist proposal is not an ‘obligation’.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info FIFA President Gianni Infantino has met with criticism over the proposal to sell a World Cup stake to private investors [Dylan Martinez/Reuters] By Reuters Published On 30 Jul 2026 30 Jul 2026 FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called the plan to sell stakes in the World Cup a proposal but “not an obligation”, after the idea provoked a furious response from a number of football authorities.
FIFA announced plans this week to create a $20bn subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other events, and said it will offer stakes of up to 20% in it to external investors.
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