UEFA has declared it has lost confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the collapse of his private investment proposal.
UEFA has publicly declared that it has lost confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the governing body’s controversial proposal to bring private investment into the FIFA World Cup was withdrawn following widespread opposition from football federations around the world.
BREAKING: UEFA declares loss of confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Statement talks of “shabby, back-room deal”. pic.twitter.com/KM8PFlpxYa
— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) August 1, 2026
The failed proposal would have created FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial subsidiary responsible for managing competitions such as the FIFA World Cup and Club World Cup. FIFA had hoped to raise approximately $4.2 billion, valuing the new entity at around $20 billion.
Under the proposal, FIFA’s 211 member associations would have received a one-off payment of $20 million in 2027, while funding for the 2027-2030 cycle would have increased from $8 million to $20 million per association. However, the plan was abandoned after fierce resistance from UEFA and several other continental confederations.
UEFA revealed that it had even considered boycotting FIFA competitions if the proposal had been forced through. In a strongly worded statement, European football’s governing body described the plan as a “shabby, back-room, opaque deal” that completely contradicted the transparency Infantino promised when he first became FIFA president in 2016.
“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” UEFA said. The organization accused Infantino of failing to deliver on his pledges that FIFA would operate transparently and that its financial resources would be managed solely for the benefit of member associations.
UEFA also questioned why FIFA sought outside investment despite reportedly holding reserves of more than $5 billion. According to the statement, the governing body should have used its own financial strength to support football rather than pursuing what it viewed as a risky commercial venture.
UEFA welcomes FIFA’s withdrawal of plans to sell a stake in the World Cup
— UEFA (@UEFA) August 1, 2026
The fallout further deepens the growing divide between UEFA and FIFA. Relations between the two organizations have already been strained following disagreements over World Cup innovations, refereeing decisions, and governance issues, with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin notably boycotting the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Although UEFA welcomed FIFA’s decision to withdraw the proposal, it insisted the matter is far from over. The organization has pledged to work with national associations and other continental confederations to review FIFA’s decision-making process, warning that “no option should be off the table” as it seeks to rebuild trust in world football’s governing body.
