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Infantino abandons plans to sell World Cup profits to private equity following massive pushback

Jul 31, 2026, 4:55 PM

FILE - Asia Football Confederation President Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, left, poses with FIFA P...

FILE - Asia Football Confederation President Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, left, poses with FIFA President Gianni Infantino during an inauguration ceremony for the new building of the Asia Football Confederation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)
Credit: AP Photo/Vincent Thian

(AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)

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BY ASSOCIATED PRESS


ZURICH (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino is abandoning his divisive plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity after receiving pushback from all corners of the soccer world.

Infantino issued a statement on Friday saying that the divisions caused by the proposal are “no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

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Infantino abandons plans to sell World Cup profits to private equity following massive pushback