After massive global backlash and boycott threats from 55 UEFA members, FIFA has scrapped its initial plans to sell shares in the World Cup through FIFA Forward Enterprises. FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the decision on Friday night, confirming that the plan had become so divisive that it was not feasible to move forward with it in its current state. The statement and decision came less than 24 hours after FIFA had vowed to push ahead with the plans despite the controversy.“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,” Infantino said through FIFA on Friday. “Our purpose has always been—and will always be—to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”While the plan is stopped for now, the proposed idea has divided the soccer landscape severely and has damaged Infantino’s reputation further in the public and among the 211 FIFA member associations. At the same time, it likely means that the Italian will no longer run unopposed in the 2027 FIFA Presidential Elections. Why Was FIFA’s Plan Canceled?Gianni Infantino has backed down on the FFE plans. | Jamie Sabau/FIFA/Getty ImagesSoon after releasing the late-night statement on Thursday, the Asian Football Confederation released a statement saying that it stood in solidarity with UEFA and Concacaf, joining the backlash against FIFA’s plans. While UEFA was the only confederation to go as far as threatening a unified boycott among the 55 members—the largest of any confederation—Concacaf uniformly rejected the proposal, before Mexico backtracked and suggested it could be open to the plan, barring further analysis and consultation. With the AFC, UEFA and Concacaf, as well as other individual member associations stepping up in opposition to the plan, it became clear that it would not pass a vote of approval and could further harm Infantino’s hopes of re-election in 2027.In total, at least 137 of the 211 members looked set to vote against the plan, which would have needed at least 106 votes of support to pass.Infantino Loses Key Support Carlos Cordeiro (left) helped Infantino organize this summer’s World Cup. | Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg/Getty Images Earlier on Friday, Infantino was dealt additional blows, with a senior advisor of his, Carlos Cordeiro, stepping down from his role and cutting into the plan, saying FFE would be “a bad deal for FIFA’s Member Associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game.”At the same time, FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour told the Associated Press that he felt FIFA staff had been “deceived.” Later on, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter also blasted the statement online. Given the division and vehement opposition, it became practically impossible for FIFA to advance in the FFE plans without further damaging the future of the game and its tournaments. What Happens to Infantino’s Presidency?Infantino will seek a fourth term as FIFA President, but likely no longer unopposed. | Elizabeth Ruiz Ruiz/FIFA/Getty ImagesInfantino’s future has never been murkier. After announcing that he intended to run for a fourth term in April at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, it was expected that he would run unopposed as he did in 2019 and 2023, with many Member Associations having already given their verbal backing to Infantino before the World Cup.Now, despite delivering a tournament which brought in record revenues of $15 billion, it looks as though others will step up to challenge, potentially stealing key votes in the March election, which will take place in Morocco.While no names have formally come forward, potential candidates must have played an active role in the sport for two of the five years preceding their nomination. In recent days, Victor Montagliani, one of the eight FIFA vice-presidents and the president of Concacaf, has emerged as a potential contender to watch, while some have called on UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who also serves as the chairman of European Football Clubs, to stand for election.Nominations for the election must be made by November, and should it be contested, it would mark the first time since 2015 that more than one candidate took to the ballot. Should more than two be nominated, it would be just the fifth time in history that members would have to vote between more than two nominees. So the World Cup Is Safe?The men’s and women’s World Cups are safe for now. | Alex Pantling/FIFA/Getty ImagesYes. For now, the World Cup is safe, as no confederations would plan on boycotting the tournament if it remains under the sole ownership and operation of FIFA and its members, as it has been. The first impact of UEFA’s boycott would have come as soon as September in the U-20 Women’s World Cup, while qualification fixtures for the 2027 Women’s World Cup later this year also appeared to be in jeopardy.On the men’s side, FIFA is still expected to fast-track the expansion of the tournament to 64 teams for the 2030 edition, which is set to take place in UEFA members Spain and Portugal, as well as Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow