FIFA drops plan to sell tournament stakes to private investors

Nexus Europa Newsroom
Posted Aug 1, 2026, 01:00 AM UTC · In the digest of 2026-08-01-0100
FIFA drops plan to sell tournament stakes to private investors
Photo: Sweden Herald

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has abandoned a proposal to sell equity stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private venture capital firms.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has abandoned plans to sell equity stakes in the World Cup and other international competitions to venture capital firms.

The proposed initiative involved selling shares in the commercial rights of FIFA events. However, the commercial strategy faced significant criticism from stakeholders across the sport.

In an official announcement, Infantino conceded that the initiative proved divisive. FIFA stated that "after carefully listening to all views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions" that no longer aligned with the organization's initial objectives.

The decision halts efforts to introduce direct private equity financing into world football's major tournaments.

Sources: Sweden Herald.

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