Infantino drops FIFA World Cup equity plan after football-wide backlash

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has scrapped the organisation's World Cup equity plan after a wave of criticism from across the football world, Al Jazeera reports.

The outlet describes the reaction as a seismic backlash that ultimately forced Infantino to retreat from the proposal. The plan, which the article refers to as FIFA's World Cup investment plan, had been a point of contention within the sport.

Details about the plan itself or the timeline of its abandonment were not included in the report. However, the news indicates that the strength and breadth of opposition in the game — from various corners of football — were decisive.

The decision marks a notable reversal for the FIFA president, who had linked the initiative to the future financing of the World Cup. The report says Infantino was compelled to give up the plan rather than doing so voluntarily.

At this stage, FIFA has not released an official statement, and no further specifics have been made public. The Al Jazeera article focuses on the cause — a backlash that spanned the sport — rather than on what the equity plan would have entailed.

As the story develops, observers will be watching to see how Infantino and FIFA respond to the reaction and whether any elements of the proposal survive in another form. For now, the plan appears to be closed.