FIFA scraps proposal to sell a stake in the World CupUEFA declares "victory for the whole game"Asian Football Confederation chief urges transparent consultation on initiativesQatar and Morocco lend support to InfantinoBacklash dents Infantino's 2027 re-election prospectsFIFA President Gianni Infantino is under unprecedented fire after regional confederations UEFA and CONCACAF said on Saturday they had lost confidence in his leadership following his abandoned plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights.The dramatic fallout from Infantino's scrapped $4.2-billion (NZ$7.14b) proposal has exposed growing unease within world soccer over his leadership style, with European governing body UEFA leading a chorus of criticism that could complicate his re-election hopes.FIFA's proposal had triggered a fierce backlash from regional confederations who said they were blindsided by Infantino's plans to sell stakes to private investors in a new unit that would run FIFA events, including the World Cup.Football officials are now demanding greater oversight of decisions that could reshape the governance and commercial future of the sport.UEFA, whose 55 members had unanimously rejected the proposal earlier this week, declared FIFA's retreat a "victory for the whole game" while adding that the "task of rebuilding trust in FIFA" had only just begun."The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family," UEFA said in a statement."UEFA thanks all the fans, leagues, clubs, players, individuals, associations and confederations that opposed the scheme, alongside the many Prime Ministers, Heads of State and commentators who have demonstrated to the FIFA President that football is not for sale," it said in a statement."We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account."AFPNorth America, Central America and the Caribbean confederation CONCACAF said the proposal was advanced outside all established governance processes, with no transparency, consultation or due process."A proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first," it said."This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour. A comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative.""Shabby deal"The backlash raised questions about Infantino's political capital as he prepares to seek another term in office.UEFA reminded Infantino about the promises he made when he was elected FIFA president in 2016, including pledges to run the governing body transparently and to treat FIFA's funds as belonging to its member associations."On both these promises, he has failed to deliver. The shabby, back-room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through was anything but transparent," UEFA added."And with reserves standing at over $5 billion (NZ$8.5b), he has also failed to use associations' money for the benefit of the game."UEFA will begin work immediately with partners and stakeholders all over the world and right across the game to propose a new way of distributing resources through the existing FIFA Forward programme."FIFA and Infantino declined to comment on UEFA's statement.FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaking at a media conference at the 73rd FIFA Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, on 16 March 2023.AFPThe Dutch FA said the process had led to a "fundamental breach of trust" in Infantino, while German football president Bernd Neuendorf said the Swiss official had "acted unilaterally and without transparency", failing to operate in the sport's best interests.Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness said the "framework of international football cooperation was unnecessarily put at risk in pursuit of individual interests".However, Infantino received support from Qatar, who said the proposal had merit and fully supported his efforts.The president of the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, also welcomed the decision to withdraw the proposal but reiterated his support for Infantino.Storm of oppositionInfantino's plan, announced on Tuesday, quickly ran into a storm of opposition from regional confederations, who complained they had not been consulted on a move that could alter the commercial structure of world football.Following the backlash, Infantino said world soccer's governing body had abandoned the plans after listening "carefully to all the views".Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa on Saturday welcomed FIFA's reversal.Bahrain's Sheikh Salman said he expected that "any initiative that has the potential to impact global football will be presented and discussed with the Confederations, the FIFA Council, Member Associations and other stakeholders in a timely, transparent and meaningful manner.""The future of global football must always be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game."Football Australia Chairman Anter Isaac struck a similar note, backing innovation while warning against bypassing core principles such as integrity, independence, good governance, transparency, meaningful consultation and due process.Re-election hopes damagedThe controversy comes at an awkward moment for Infantino, who said in April that he intended to seek re-election for a fourth term as FIFA president.Since taking over from Sepp Blatter in 2016, he has been re-elected unopposed twice and appeared firmly in control of the organisation.Dollar bills rain down on FIFA president Sepp Blatter, at a media conference in Zurich. A man posing as a journalist had thrown the money at him.PhotosportWhile his re-election for the 2027-31 term had appeared a formality, experts told Reuters the backlash against the failed proposal had exposed dissatisfaction among some FIFA members and could complicate his path ahead of next March's FIFA Congress in Morocco."He's obviously been kind of egomaniacal in everything that he's done. I know that he's rubbed many of the member associations the wrong way with some of his decisions," Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing analyst, said.The speed of the turnaround has been particularly striking, coming less than two weeks after Infantino was toasting the most commercially successful World Cup in history."As close as two weeks ago, he's riding on top of the world, the most successful sports mega event in the history of this planet," said economist Victor Matheson, a sports business expert at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts."And just two weeks later, he's fighting for his political life."Reaction to FIFA backing down on World Cup sell-off plansGerman Football Association president Berind Neuendorf"The events surrounding this project initiated by Gianni Infantino must now be fully investigated. The FIFA president acted unilaterally, opaquely and ultimately irresponsibly in the best interests of football."Noraway FA president Lise Klaveness"It was absolutely necessary for Gianni Infantino and FIFA to withdraw this proposal. That has now happened and we are of course pleased with the outcome."This cannot end as merely another power struggle. We must also use this moment to truly live by our own governance principles and to shift the internal culture away from fear and political positioning towards greater openness."England's FA statement"We fully support UEFA's position. It is time for a full and robust review of FIFA's leadership and governance to ensure that the global game is run transparently, for the benefit of all 211 member nations and with the long-term stewardship of football at its heart."Dutch FA statement"With the withdrawal of the proposal, the matter is not settled for the KNVB. The way this process has unfolded has led to a fundamental breach of trust in the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The KNVB no longer has confidence in his leadership."UEFA Statement"UEFA welcomes FIFA's decision to withdraw its plan to sell a stake in its competitions - including the World Cup - into private hands."The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family."UEFA will begin work immediately with partners and stakeholders all over the world and right across the game to propose a new way of distributing resources through the existing FIFA Forward programme."This is a victory for the whole game. But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in FIFA has only just begun."Belgian football association boardchair Pascale van Damme"As a founding member of FIFA and a representative on the FIFA Council, the RBFA remains committed to a strong, independent and sustainable model for international football."AFC president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa"The future of global football must always be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game."The AFC stands ready to support any initiative that strengthens the unity of the football family, contributes to the continued growth of the game globally and delivers meaningful benefits to all stakeholders."Football Australia chairman Anter Isaac"Football has never stood still, nor should it."Throughout its history, our game has evolved through innovation, investment and new ideas that have strengthened football, created greater opportunities for players, coaches and referees, and enhanced the experience of supporters around the world. That spirit of progress must continue."Some principles, however, should never change. Integrity. Independence. Good governance. Transparency. Meaningful consultation. Due process. These are not constraints on progress. They are what make lasting progress possible."Swedish football association chairman Simon Astorm"We welcome FIFA's decision not to proceed with the proposal. It is in line with our expectations in light of the flawed process and the reactions the proposal has provoked."At the same time, we are still concerned about deficiencies in transparency and governance, and want to emphasise the importance of continued discussion and dialogue about how football should be governed and developed."- Reuters