Asia, Europe welcome end of Fifa’s World Cup investor plans in a big defeat for Infantino
AFC chief calls for more transparency as doubts are cast on Infantino’s 2027 re-election prospects; Uefa declares ‘no confidence’
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has welcomed the decision by Fifa to scrap World Cup investor plans after fierce backlash against the ruling body and its president, Gianni Infantino, while Europe’s Uefa issued a strong-worded statement on Saturday.
The AFC had joined Uefa and the Concacaf confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean in rejecting the Fifa plans to sell minority stakes in a planned company overseeing its commercial rights and tournament operations to private investors.
That meant that Fifa and Infantino would have no majority from the 211 members and Infantino said early on Saturday that the plan – which also included a September 19 deadline for members to agree and be eligible for US$20 million – was now scrapped.
Project abandoned
“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,” he said.
“Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.
“Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.”