Paris: FIFA president Gianni Infantino has withdrawn a proposal to allow private investment in the World Cup following strong opposition from football bodies across the globe.

Infantino announced on Saturday that the plan, which involved creating a commercial subsidiary to manage major events, would no longer move forward after consultations with stakeholders.

"Our purpose has always been -- and will always be -- to unite and improve," Infantino said in a statement.

"As a result, this proposal will not proceed."

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FIFA had introduced the proposal on Tuesday through the planned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial arm that was expected to oversee events such as the World Cup and Club World Cup. The governing body had estimated that the initiative could raise up to $4.2 billion, based on a valuation of $20 billion.

If approved, the plan would have provided each of FIFA's 211 member associations with a one-time payment of $20 million in early 2027 and increased their funding allocation for the 2027-2030 cycle from $8 million to $20 million.

However, the proposal faced criticism from several major football organisations. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which represents 47 member nations, welcomed the decision to abandon the plan and called for greater consultation on matters affecting global football.

Any initiative that may impact global football should be "presented and discussed with the Confederations, the FIFA Council, Member Associations (MAs) and other stakeholders in a timely, transparent and meaningful manner," the Kuala Lumpur-based body said in a statement.

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The Mexican Football Federation also supported the withdrawal, stating that "unity among all the Confederations and Federations has been prioritised for the good of football".

Earlier, UEFA had warned that its national teams would not participate in FIFA competitions if the proposal remained under consideration.

"The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product," UEFA said in a statement. "No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale."

The backlash intensified after FIFA senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro resigned on Friday, describing the proposal as "a bad deal for FIFA's member associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game".

South American football body CONMEBOL, led by Alejandro Dominguez, also sought more details about the plan, asking for clarity on the "scope, structure, governance and potential effects" of the project.

Infantino aims to restore unity

In his statement announcing the withdrawal, Infantino said the initiative had been designed to strengthen FIFA's member associations but acknowledged that the controversy surrounding it had created divisions.

"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," he said.

FIFA had earlier defended the proposal, saying it would continue discussions with member associations and stressing that "nobody is selling football".

The criticism also extended beyond football authorities. Following the European Union's support for UEFA's position, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Infantino was "the wrong man" to lead FIFA.

Infantino said he would now focus on rebuilding consensus among football stakeholders and continuing FIFA's efforts to expand the game worldwide.

"Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support," he said. (AFP)