FIFA drops World Cup stake sale after boycott threat by UEFA
What's next: Gianni Infantino faces pressure before FIFA's March election after UEFA, Concacaf and Asia opposed the plan.
FIFA abandoned a plan to sell investor stakes in commercial rights tied to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup after a sharp backlash from football federations. UEFA’s 55 member associations agreed to boycott future World Cups if the proposal went ahead, while Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation also rejected it. The scheme, called FIFA Forward Enterprise, aimed to raise hundreds of millions of dollars and offered participating associations an initial $20 million before a Sept. 19 deadline. The retreat deepens pressure on President Gianni Infantino before FIFA’s Congress in Morocco next March, where he is seeking a fourth term.