The World Cup will take place during celebrations of the 250th anniversary of American independence. ― AFP file pic First Published: Saturday, 01 Aug 2026 1:49 PM MYT KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — The Asian Football Confederation said today it welcomed the scrapping of Fifa’s proposal to allow private investment in the World Cup.AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa “welcomed the withdrawal of the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise,” the Kuala Lumpur-based body said in a statement.Any initiative that may impact global football should be “presented and discussed with the Confederations, the Fifa Council, Member Associations (MAs) and other stakeholders in a timely, transparent and meaningful manner,” said the AFC, which represents 47 member nations, including Australia, China, Japan and Saudi Arabia. — AFP