FIFA president Gianni Infantino is dropping his controversial plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity firms following widespread opposition from the football community. The decision came after a senior adviser resigned from a White House panel and Asia’s football governing body joined European and North American counterparts in rejecting the proposal. "Having listened care fully 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 and will always been always be, to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed." Infantino proposed establishing a US$20 billion company to oversee the World Cup, backed by private investors including the Kushner family, but the plan encountered increasing resistance. UEFA members threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, while CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also rejected the plan. "Some things are simply too important to sell," UEFA said. "The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale." Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser, a former Goldman Sachs banker, resigned after representing FIFA on the White House World Cup Task Force. He also urged other senior FIFA officials to speak out. FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff were misled by Infantino’s lack of transparency over the proposed sale, arguing that the project should not proceed. Infantino proposed separating FIFA’s commercial operations, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups, into a US$20 billion subsidiary, with 20% owned by private investors. FIFA identified a New York-based investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner as the anchor investor. UEFA members said they would boycott the Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland, adding to the pressure on Infantino following criticism from senior FIFA officials. Infantino, who was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023, is eligible for one more four-year term under FIFA rules. The deadline for candidates is November 18, ahead of the election in Rabat, Morocco. Although his position had appeared secure despite criticism of his leadership style, the failed private equity proposal could weaken his standing as efforts has begun to end Infantino’s presidency of FIFA. UEFA said, "The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family." The governing body for CONCACAF called for accountability, saying: "A (World Cup) proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first. This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership Follows a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour. A full review of this leadership must now take place." "We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game," UEFA said. "We must identify those responsible and hold them to account." "It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again." Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness said action is needed to protect the integrity of football, while Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa called for consultation, dialogue and respect for football’s governance structures.