Pressure has continued to mount on FIFA President Gianni Infantino despite the governing body’s decision to abandon its controversial proposal to allow private investors to acquire stakes in the commercial operations of the FIFA World Cup.
The proposal, which would have created a new company to oversee FIFA’s commercial rights and tournament operations, faced widespread resistance from football stakeholders across the globe, including UEFA, national football associations, domestic leagues and players’ representatives, who argued that the World Cup should remain under the control of the global football community rather than private investors.
The growing opposition eventually forced FIFA to withdraw the plan after it became clear that the proposal lacked the required backing from member confederations.
Among the strongest critics is LaLiga president Javier Tebas, who insisted that shelving the proposal does not resolve what he described as deeper governance concerns within FIFA.
In a statement posted on his X account, Tebas said Infantino should not continue as FIFA president.
“Infantino must not continue. That FIFA has withdrawn its proposal to privatise its competitions is good news. But it would be a grave mistake to think that this has resolved the governance problem.
“The confederations, associations, leagues and players should not settle for this withdrawal and consider the matter closed. The issue is much deeper,” he said.
The controversy reached its peak after UEFA reportedly threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the proposal went ahead, while several other continental confederations also rejected the plan, leaving Infantino without enough support to push it through.
Facing mounting resistance, Infantino confirmed at the weekend that FIFA had dropped the proposal to sell stakes in the commercial management of its competitions to private investors.
The decision has been welcomed by many within the football community, who believe the World Cup should remain a competition governed by football authorities rather than commercial investment firms.
Critics of the plan argued that opening the tournament to private ownership could place commercial interests ahead of the game’s traditions, competitive integrity and the interests of fans worldwide.
Although the proposal has now been withdrawn, Tebas and other stakeholders maintain that broader reforms are still needed within FIFA’s leadership and governance structure, insisting that the debate extends beyond the failed privatisation plan.
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