FIFA abandons plan to sell World Cup hosting rights to private investors after criticism

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced the previous day that the organization is abandoning a sharply criticized plan to sell part of the rights to organize FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, to private investors.

Infantino said the proposal had caused disagreements and that its implementation would not have matched the original goal. He added that, as a result, it was decided to drop the proposal.

The decision comes after the plan drew strong criticism and created divisions within the football community. The idea would have allowed private investors to acquire a share of the rights to FIFA competitions, including the sport's most prestigious event, the World Cup.

Infantino stressed that the decision to withdraw was made in light of the disagreements that had emerged. FIFA's statement did not provide further details about the initial objectives or how the proposal would have deviated from them, but the organization has confirmed that the controversial plan will no longer move forward.

This means FIFA will retain the current structure for managing tournament hosting rights and will not transfer them to private parties.