FIFA President Gianni Infantino has formally abandoned a controversial proposal that would have involved selling a private equity stake in the World Cup. The plan, which had been under consideration by the governing body, faced immediate and intense pushback from various stakeholders within the international football community.

While the specific details of the proposed investment deal were never fully finalized or publicly detailed in full, the concept of selling a portion of the tournament's commercial rights to private investors was met with resistance from fans, clubs, and football associations. Critics argued that such a move could compromise the integrity of the sport's most prestigious event and prioritize profit over the game's traditional governance.

Both Al Jazeera and ABC Australia confirm that the proposal has been shelved. Al Jazeera emphasizes that the decision follows a period of "fierce backlash" from across the sport, suggesting that the pressure from the football community was a primary driver for the reversal. ABC Australia reported the development as a breaking news item, focusing on the finality of the decision to scrap the sell-off plans. Neither outlet provided specific details on who the potential investors were or how much equity was originally intended to be sold, leaving the exact scope of the abandoned plan unclear to the public.