Billionaire Patrice Motsepe and CAF executives backs Infantino after FIFA drops plan to "sell" the World Cup for $4.2 billion

Patrice Motsepe, the billionaire president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has spearheaded a wave of support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino despite a growing rift in global football governance.

This surge of loyalty from the continent follows Infantino’s decision to abandon a controversial proposal to raise $4.2 billion by selling minority stakes in a new commercial rights body.

While regional bodies in Europe, Asia, and North America have recently declared a loss of confidence in Infantino’s leadership, the 54-member African bloc remains his most vital base of political power heading into the next FIFA presidential election.

Collapse of the FIFA World Cup "sale"

The controversy centered on a project known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a proposed $20 billion subsidiary designed to manage the World Cup and other major events.