FIFA President Gianni Infantino gestures during his visit to the new Concentration Hotel of the Colombian Football Federation in Barranquilla, Colombia, on February 24, 2026. The Mexican city of Guadalajara is trying to reassure football fans ahead of the World Cup, which begins in 100 days, after being shaken by the violence sparked on February 22 by the death of powerful cartel boss Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera. (Photo by David SALAZAR / AFP via Getty Images)
Gianni Infantino has built his presidency on an ability to push through ambitious —and often controversial — changes despite widespread resistance. His abrupt decision to abandon plans to sell a stake in FIFA's commercial rights to private equity marks a rare and significant political defeat, exposing the limits of his authority and raising new questions about his future leadership.
The plan itself was unprecedented. By placing FIFA's most valuable commercial ****** ets — including the World Cups — into a $20 billion company with outside investors holding a 20% stake, Infantino was attempting to fundamentally reshape how the planet's most lucrative and popular sporting event is financed and managed.
Infantino had argued that private capital would have accelerated investment and unlock long-term revenue. Critics, however, saw something much more sinister: The commercialization of soccer's crown jewel.
What ultimately doomed the plan was not simply opposition, but the breadth and speed of that opposition. Within days, UEFA, European soccer's governing body, voted to boycott FIFA competitions, an extraordinary escalation from an organization that has frequently clashed with Infantino but rarely challenged his authority.
#infantino #gianni #World #days
Gianni Infantino has built his presidency on an ability to push through ambitious —and often controversial — changes despite widespread resistance. His abrupt decision to abandon plans to sell a stake in FIFA's commercial rights to private equity marks a rare and significant political defeat, exposing the limits of his authority and raising new questions about his future leadership.
The plan itself was unprecedented. By placing FIFA's most valuable commercial ****** ets — including the World Cups — into a $20 billion company with outside investors holding a 20% stake, Infantino was attempting to fundamentally reshape how the planet's most lucrative and popular sporting event is financed and managed.
Infantino had argued that private capital would have accelerated investment and unlock long-term revenue. Critics, however, saw something much more sinister: The commercialization of soccer's crown jewel.
What ultimately doomed the plan was not simply opposition, but the breadth and speed of that opposition. Within days, UEFA, European soccer's governing body, voted to boycott FIFA competitions, an extraordinary escalation from an organization that has frequently clashed with Infantino but rarely challenged his authority.
#infantino #gianni #World #days
2 months ago
