FIFA president Gianni Infantino has abandoned his plan to sell equity in the World Cup after facing intense pushback worldwide, including opposition from within soccer's own governing body and a threatened walkout by European federations. Under a 64-team format, FIFA could revert to 16 groups of four teams, with the top two from each group advancing directly to a round of 32. Infantino confirmed the "proposal will not proceed" in a statement on Friday.
Infantino had pitched folding FIFA's commercial operations, which lead the men's and women's World Cups and Club World Cups, into a $20 billion spinoff company. FIFA had announced on Tuesday that it was seeking to launch FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would bring together the sale of FIFA's commercial rights - including broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing - with the operational delivery of its tournaments. That timeline, paired with reports that FIFA was simultaneously fast-tracking a move to a 64-team World Cup for 2030, added to the sense among federations that they were being rushed into a decision without real consultation.