Infantino apologises as FIFA admits mistakes over World Cup sell-off plan

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has apologised for the failed proposal to sell a minority stake in the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup, admitting that “mistakes were made” as pressure mounted on his leadership following widespread opposition to the plan.

The apology comes after FIFA abandoned its controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which sparked fierce criticism from football stakeholders and prompted calls for Infantino’s removal as president.

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FIFA admits mistakes

In a joint statement, FIFA and Infantino acknowledged that the governing body mishandled the process leading up to the proposal.

“We acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process, and it should have been handled differently.”

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The statement also admitted errors in FIFA’s handling of the proposal after details of the plan were leaked to the media.

“We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again.”

Controversial plan abandoned

The now-abandoned proposal sought to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a new subsidiary that would oversee FIFA’s commercial and event operations, including the FIFA World Cup.

The plan would have allowed private investors to acquire a minority, non-controlling stake in the entity, which was reportedly valued at around £15 billion.

However, the proposal was met with overwhelming opposition from football’s governing bodies, with UEFA leading resistance to the project.

UEFA and its 55 member associations reportedly threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the proposal proceeded, forcing FIFA to withdraw the initiative.

Review ordered

FIFA said a full review into the handling of the proposal would be conducted, with its findings to be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.

The governing body stressed that although mistakes had been made in the consultation process, the proposal itself complied with FIFA’s regulatory framework and would have required approval from both the FIFA Council and its 211 member associations.

FIFA warns against attacks

While apologising for the controversy, FIFA also issued a warning that it would defend its reputation following the withdrawal of the proposal.

The organisation said it would “no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process” and would “take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation.”

FIFA added that despite shelving the FFE project, it remained committed to supporting football development globally through its FIFA Forward programme for member associations, confederations and regional bodies.