FIFA’s private investment plan collapses after revolt by soccer officials, report says

FIFA’s abandoned effort to sell a minority stake in a new subsidiary tied to World Cup commercial rights has widened into a broader governance dispute, with UEFA naming 18 FIFA officials, including Arsene Wenger, in legal action linked to the failed proposal. The Guardian reported that Gianni Infantino still appears numerically positioned for reelection despite a backlash from Europe and North and Central America, with support remaining strong in Africa, South America, Oceania and parts of Asia. FIFA said early last week that it planned to raise an estimated $4.2 billion this year by selling a reported 20% minority stake in a new unit called FIFA Forward Enterprise at a $20 billion equity valuation, while retaining primary ownership and control over scheduling, governance and regulatory decisions. The proposal, introduced and then withdrawn on August 1-2, 2026, triggered immediate resistance from critics who argued soccer "is not FIFA's to sell," and from confederations that said they had not been consulted before the plan was announced. UEFA described the process as "shabby, back room, opaque" and later escalated the dispute by filing legal actions against FIFA that name Wenger among the officials involved. Wenger, who has served as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development since November 2019, had focused on talent development, performance analysis and the transition to the expanded 48-team World Cup that debuted in 2026, and has called the larger tournament a "natural evolution" of the sport. The fallout also included the resignation in protest of senior Infantino adviser Carlos Cordeiro and criticism from FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who said staff were "deceived" by the lack of openness in what was described as a "one-person" scheme. UEFA and CONCACAF opposed the plan unanimously, and the AFC was also critical. Even so, more than 200 of FIFA’s 211 member associations had formally endorsed Infantino for another term before the investment proposal surfaced. He needs 106 votes to win reelection, meaning he could lose all 55 UEFA votes and all 35 CONCACAF votes and still prevail. No challenger has emerged so far, though UEFA is considering fielding a candidate, the report said. Infantino’s support has been reinforced by higher FIFA revenue, the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams and promises of increased funding for member associations. At the FIFA Congress in May, he pledged to raise team distributions by 20% to at least $2.7 billion over the next four years, a commitment Reuters said carries particular weight among smaller nations that receive FIFA development grants.