FIFA president Infantino faces revolt after World Cup privatization plan fails
FIFA President Gianni Infantino's attempt to privatize World Cup rights has collapsed, triggering threats of non-cooperation from European football bodies and calls for his resignation.
Updated last month4 new reports, including ABC News (AU), Al Jazeera, South China Morning Post.
简要版本
FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to create a commercial subsidiary for World Cup rights has failed, leading to a leadership crisis. Multiple European football federations have withdrawn support for his re-election amid the controversy.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposed a plan to privatize World Cup rights through a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise.3,2,6 The plan was abandoned after widespread opposition from football bodies and stakeholders.4,5,6,10 UEFA officials have threatened 'non-co-operation' with FIFA unless Infantino steps down, according to senior sources.4
The Football Association of Wales announced it would no longer support Infantino's re-election bid for the 2027-2031 term.5 UEFA has raised the possibility of taking legal action against Infantino over the failed privatization plan, sources told ESPN.9 Arsène Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, stated the privatization plan was 'absolutely necessary' to withdraw.10
FIFA's deputy secretary general Mattias Grafström distanced himself from Infantino in an internal email, citing a 'series of sad and reprehensible events' linked to the plan.11 The Football Associations of England, Finland, Serbia, and Sweden have withdrawn support for Infantino's re-election, according to reports.12,14 The Jordan Football Association accused FIFA of 'blackmail' in a social media statement, alleging the organization withheld prize money over an endorsement of Infantino.13
Former FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein claimed FIFA withheld prize money from Jordan due to its stance on Infantino.16 Infantino sought support from U.S. President Donald Trump following the backlash to the privatization plan, according to a report citing anonymous sources.7 The U.S. State Department denied a report suggesting FIFA President Gianni Infantino was set to speak with Secretary of State Marco Rubio amid the crisis.8
“The privatisation plan was 'absolutely necessary' to withdraw.”
“We regret a 'series of sad and reprehensible events' in connection with the aborted project.”
媒体意见不一
为何重要
FIFA Forward Enterprise was the proposed commercial subsidiary intended to privatize World Cup rights, aiming to generate $20 billion in investment.1,3,2
FIFA's next presidential election is scheduled for March 2027, where Infantino would seek re-election for a third term.6,10,15
UEFA is the governing body of European football and one of FIFA's most influential member associations.4,9,12
本文根据下列 16 篇报道撰写，来自 13 家独立媒体，并逐句核对。它不是其中任何一篇的复制。发现错误？ 告诉我们.
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