FIFA's Plan to Sell Private Stake Fails, Shaking Infantino's Position

[Anchor]

FIFA's plan to attract private investment has ultimately fallen through after running into fierce opposition. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who spearheaded the stake sale, is facing a severely shaken position ahead of next year's election.

Reporter Ha Seong-nyong has the details.

[Reporter]

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced in a statement today (August 1) that he will not pursue the sale plan, as it caused divisions that do not align with their original goals.

He effectively surrendered just three days after announcing the private investment plan.

On July 29, FIFA unveiled a plan to establish a subsidiary handling operational and commercial rights for major tournaments like the World Cup and raise up to 6 trillion won by selling a partial stake to private entities. The plan revealed that venture capital firm Thrive Capital, operated by Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, would lead the external investment, triggering fierce backlash.

UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) unanimously declared a World Cup boycott across all 55 member nations, while the Asian and CONCACAF confederations, as well as the U.S. Soccer Federation, joined the opposition.

With Thrive Capital ultimately deciding to pull out of the project and Infantino's senior advisor resigning in opposition to the sale, intense criticism has emerged from within FIFA as well. As a result, Infantino's position, previously considered a strong favorite for a fourth term in next March's election, has been severely undermined.

[Lise Klaveness / President of the Norwegian Football Federation : I think President Infantino has lost a significant amount of trust. Many member associations share our view.]

The New York Post reported that at least 20 countries are discussing withdrawing their support for Infantino.

(Video Editing: Hwang Ji-young, Design: Hwang Se-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.