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The world governing body had intended to establish a new commercial vehicle to oversee broadcasting, sponsorship and licensing for the men’s and women’s World Cups starting in 2030 along with the Club World Cup, aiming to raise hundreds of millions of dollars from private investors. That structure would have channelled more than $10bn to FIFA’s 211 member associations over the cycle according to a Guardian assessment. Yet the initiative collapsed within days after triggering an immediate outcry from across the football landscape, prompting the reversal announced on Friday.
UEFA issued a strongly worded statement accusing FIFA of attempting to sell the soul of football and convened an emergency meeting that produced threats of a boycott for the 2030 tournament co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, the confederation reported. CONCACAF and the AFC joined in rejecting the plan, while former CONCACAF president Carlos Cordeiro resigned from his advisory role in protest. One official described the lack of prior consultation as showing a serious lack of respect for the confederations and their member federations.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement that this proposal will not proceed after it generated divisions of a nature that are no longer in the interest of the objective that was originally pursued. The governing body maintains roughly $4bn in reserves that could support development funding without external equity sales, FIFA financial reports show. The original timetable had set a September 19 deadline for associations to commit, with an optional $20m incentive attached.
Separate bidding for 2030 and 2034 media rights is already shaping up, with English and Spanish language packages for North America potentially commanding $3bn combined according to a Yahoo Sports analysis. The Wall Street Journal reported that FIFA moved quickly after the successful 2026 tournament to open those rights processes despite challenges from time zones for European and Middle Eastern hosts. US advertising revenue from the most recent World Cup reached a record $1.19bn, industry figures show.
Saudi Arabia will stage the 2034 edition after its selection by acclamation at an extraordinary FIFA Congress, the organisation’s tournament site stated. That decision followed the multi-nation 2030 hosting award and has amplified scrutiny over how commercial revenues are managed across an expanded tournament cycle. The stake-sale retreat reflects ongoing tensions among confederations about control of football’s flagship assets.
A BBC video titled Watch: Why Fifa dropped plans to sell stakes in the World Cup examined the rapid reversal and its roots in stakeholder divisions that surfaced almost immediately after the plan became public. The episode adds to questions about FIFA’s governance direction under Infantino as preparations for the next two tournaments accelerate. Member associations now await alternative proposals for sustainable funding that avoid ceding equity in core commercial rights.
