Photo via CBS Sports

FIFA president Gianni Infantino apologizes for World Cup privatization plans but still faces scrutiny

FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed the organization’s Council in Zurich this week, offering an apology for his controversial proposal to privatize the World Cup through FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a subsidiary valued at approximately $20 billion. The plan, which would have sold minority stakes to private investors—including Thrive Eternal, led by venture capitalist Joshua Kushner—sparked immediate backlash after its July announcement in *The Times* and was abandoned shortly thereafter.

Despite the reversal, legal challenges in the U.S. persist, and the episode remains a significant hurdle as Infantino seeks his fourth term in March’s election, currently facing only one opponent, former Swiss international Ramón Vega.

The Council meeting drew mixed reactions from member associations. While Mauritania’s federation president, Ahmed Yahya, publicly endorsed Infantino as the ‘right president,’ others expressed skepticism.

Bernd Neuendorf of the German Football Association declared he had ‘no confidence’ in Infantino, and England’s chairwoman, Debbie Hewitt, criticized the lack of transparency during the session, noting unanswered questions about FFE’s documentation. Infantino urged Council members to submit further inquiries for a follow-up meeting, but the overall response underscored lingering doubts about his leadership amid the fallout from the privatization plan.

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