FIFA’s Infantino Scraps World Cup Investment Plan. But Is It Too Little, Too Late?

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Friday that football's international governing body would scrap plans to sell private investors a stake in a new commercial venture tied to the World Cup. The pivot came after widespread backlash and vows from all 55 members of UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) to boycott future FIFA competitions if the plans went through.“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” Infantino said in a statement. “Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”The turnaround followed escalating blowback from leading soccer organizations and top voices in the sport, culminating in Friday’s resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, a top advisor for FIFA who said that he could not “stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup.”"Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally,” his statement said. “It is a bad deal for FIFA's member associations, a...