World Cup sale plan could have paid Gianni Infantino more than €30m
The Times says FIFA’s proposed 20% World Cup sale could have raised €4bn and would have secured Gianni Infantino over €30m, sparking governance questions.
FIFA faces renewed scrutiny after a report in The Times revealed that a proposed World Cup sale would have delivered substantial payouts to senior officials.
The story says the governing body explored selling a 20% stake in World Cup commercial rights through a vehicle called FIFA Forward Enterprise.
According to the report, the proposal — which FIFA later abandoned — was projected to generate roughly €4 billion and would have included a payment to President Gianni Infantino exceeding €30 million in addition to his regular salary.
The Times report and the key allegation
The Times detailed what it described as the financial mechanics tying the World Cup sale to executive payouts and disclosed projected figures for both the overall transaction and individual compensation.
The allegation that Gianni Infantino stood to gain more than €30 million, plus additional bonuses, has intensified debate over how major commercial deals are structured at football’s governing body.
Proposal to sell 20% of World Cup rights
The plan under discussion involved selling a minority stake — around 20% — of future World Cup commercial rights.
FIFA Forward Enterprise was identified as the intended vehicle to package and market those rights to institutional investors and partners, with forecasts estimating an infusion of about €4 billion to FIFA coffers.
Projected financial gains and Infantino’s compensation
The Times report said the envisaged transaction included specific payouts that would have significantly exceeded the president’s stated annual salary.
Infantino’s reported base salary as FIFA president stands at approximately €3 million, but the sale proposal was described as carrying a separate, much larger one-off remuneration element in excess of €30 million plus potential bonuses.
FIFA’s withdrawal of the scheme
FIFA has publicly stepped back from the plan, according to the account that accompanies the report, and the organisation has not progressed with a sale on the scale described.
The reversal leaves unanswered questions about the rationale behind advancing the proposal in the first place and which internal governance processes reviewed the arrangement before it was tabled.
Governance and conflict of interest concerns
The revelation has reignited concerns about governance, transparency and potential conflicts of interest at the heart of international football administration.
Observers say transactions that combine commercial restructuring with significant payments to sitting officials create at minimum a perception problem and at worst a risk of regulatory or ethical breaches that require independent review.
Potential reactions from member associations and commercial partners
Member associations and commercial partners will likely demand clarity on how the proposal was developed and who authorised its terms, legal experts say.
Sponsors and broadcasters, critical to the sport’s revenue model, may press for assurances about decision-making safeguards and the independence of any future commercial negotiations tied to World Cup income.
The episode is likely to prompt further calls for independent oversight and clearer rules governing the intersection of executive pay and large-scale commercial deals, and football stakeholders will be watching closely as governance bodies review what transpired.