Under-pressure Infantino apologises for World Cup sell-off plan
FIFA President Gianni Infantino faced mounting pressure during a three-hour FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday, where he apologized for his delayed disclosure of plans to sell a 20% stake in future World Cup profits to private equity firms. European football leaders, including Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, demanded his resignation, accusing him of selling off FIFA’s commercial rights—broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing, and licensing—at an unfairly low valuation.
UEFA has since called for all related documents to be released, while Infantino’s controversial £1.3 million salary for 2024 further fueled criticism of his leadership.
Infantino also abandoned his FIFA Peace Prize awarded to former U.S. President Donald Trump in December, with FIFA’s Football Social Responsibility Committee now reviewing the decision to scrap the award entirely.
The committee will assess the reasons behind the prize, which was introduced in 2025 and made Trump its sole recipient. Meanwhile, FIFA’s Legal Committee will examine the suspension of USA striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban from the World Cup, with findings due alongside the Peace Prize review at the next council meeting in December 2026.
To address financial concerns, FIFA announced plans to redirect surplus funds through its Solidarity Programme, more than doubling planned funding for 2027–2030 to $6.35 billion, including $25 million for each member association.
