Fifa president Gianni Infantino has abandoned plans to sell off stakes in the World Cup and other international events in the face of fierce backlash, boycott threats and the resignation of a high profile advisor.
The enormously controversial plan would have seen a new commercial subsidiary, part owned by an investment company tied to the younger brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, run Fifa’s main events.
It prompted outrage from global football associations, who said they had been blindsided by the proposal.
Uefa, Concacaf, which governs football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) all released statements condemning the move, with the European governing body also declaring its members would boycott all future Fifa events if the plan went ahead.
Carlos Cordeiro, who had been serving as Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance, resigned in protest and issued a statement branding the proposal a “bad deal for football”.
