FIFA boss Gianni Infantino was set to pocket an eye-watering amount should his controversial World Cup idea succeeded10:33, 03 Aug 2026FIFA chief Gianni Infantino was reportedly set to pocket a staggering £47 million per year had his plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup succeeded. Infantino, 56, came under heavy fire after the failed unveiling of his plans to sell off fractions in FIFA competitions to private investors.‌The FIFA president's idea plunged the football world into chaos. However, he pulled off a dramatic U-turn after considerable backlash, with pressure now mounting on the Swiss and support for his re-election collapsing.‌Infantino's plan was to create a private, investment-open company to run its flagship competitions and raise billions of pounds. It was believed to be led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, the US President Donald Trump's son-in-law.‌The FIFA chief, 56, had orchestrated a plan to sell 20 per cent stake in the new sister company to private investors for a reported £3.1m.UEFA threatened a wide-ranging boycott of any FIFA tournaments, while fellow federations such as CONCACAF and AFC also publicised their opposition to the plan.Infantino currently earns a salary of around £2.6m as FIFA president, although his total figure is said to have doubled last year following bonuses. A new role as commissioner of the FIFA Forward Enterprise would, according to The Times, have landed him a salary similar to that of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who takes home around £47m per year.‌Infantino has been president of FIFA since February 2016, having replaced Sepp Blatter. However, in the wake of his plan falling flat, he is facing unprecedented criticism.A FIFA statement released last week claimed the idea has been scrapped. Nevertheless, UEFA has declared a loss of confidence in Infantino after the scandal, with the Welsh and English FAs becoming the first nations to publicly withdraw their support for the FIFA boss to be re-elected.‌UEFA's statement read: "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."It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again. That review should be thorough and fundamental."No option should be off the table. The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.‌"When Gianni Infantino asked for the trust and the votes of FIFA's Member Associations to elect him as their President in 2016, he said, 'Of course we have to be transparent. I have been this in the last 15 years of my life in UEFA. You will have to play a part every day in the life of FIFA,' before telling the assembled stakeholders, 'The money of FIFA is your money. It's not the money of the FIFA President. It's your money. You are the national associations and the money of FIFA has to serve for the development of football and not for anything else.'"On both these promises, he has failed to deliver. The shabby, back room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through were anything but transparent."Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.