FIFA drops commercial rights plan after confed backlash

FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to privatize significant commercial aspects of the World Cup and other tournaments collapsed on Friday, July 31, after triggering a coordinated rebellion from major soccer confederations and key executives. The swift retreat over the weekend leaves Infantino politically isolated and facing a severe crisis of confidence as calls mount for his removal and a fundamental reform of the organization’s governance.

The crisis erupted last week following news reports revealing Infantino’s secretive project, dubbed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The plan proposed selling roughly 20% of the commercial rights to FIFA’s tournaments, including the World Cup, to private investors for a valuation of $20 billion. Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Eternal was to serve as the anchor investor. Member associations were each offered an immediate $20 million payment to accept the deal by a September 19 deadline.

The proposal, which had been developed over the past year without consultation with FIFA’s member confederations, drew immediate and fierce condemnation. UEFA, the governing body for European soccer, declared its members would boycott all FIFA...