FIFA faces no confidence vote as regional powerhouses oppose Infantino’s World Cup stake sale

FIFA President Gianni Infantino pulled the plug on a plan to sell a minority stake in the organization’s commercial rights. The damage, it turns out, was already done. Regional soccer confederations representing more than half of FIFA’s 211 member associations are now contemplating a no-confidence vote against Infantino, a dramatic escalation of tensions that had been simmering long before the ill-fated stake sale proposal surfaced on July 29. A $4.2 billion idea that lasted two days The proposal was ambitious, even by Infantino’s standards. FIFA floated the creation of a new commercial entity to oversee its marquee events, then planned to sell roughly 20% of that subsidiary to private investors. The target: $4.2 billion in proceeds, based on a valuation of FIFA’s commercial rights at around $20 billion. The plan survived approximately 48 hours. By July 31, Infantino reversed course, acknowledging the proposal had become “divisive.” UEFA’s 55 member associations, representing European soccer’s governing body, unanimously threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments if the plan moved forward. The Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which governs North and Central America plus the C...