FIFA abandons plan to sell World Cup stake to private equity firms

Published Aug 1, 12:00 AM UTC

FIFA has abandoned its plan to sell a share of the World Cup to private equity firms as part of a broader investment strategy, the federation announced late Friday. The plan, which was disclosed earlier in the week, would have sought approximately $10 billion in private investment in exchange for a stake in the tournament's commercial rights. The decision marks a reversal of FIFA's efforts to monetize the World Cup's popularity through private capital, though the federation did not provide specific reasons for the scrapped initiative. The move comes amid ongoing scrutiny of FIFA's financial practices and governance.