FIFA must rebuild trust after scrapping World Cup investor proposal, says Boyce

FIFA is facing a significant challenge to rebuild trust after President Gianni Infantino abandoned a controversial plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors. The proposal, which aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling a 20% stake in a new entity overseeing FIFA competitions, drew immediate and strong criticism.

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There's no way that this should be sold to investors. If you invest, you're looking to make money out of that investment. FIFA is a non-profit organisation. To promote football throughout the world, they don't need outside investors.

European football's governing body UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA events, accusing the organization of putting the sport's "soul" up for sale. Former FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce described the proposal as "ludicrous" and stated that FIFA, as a non-profit organization, does not need outside investors. He emphasized that the focus should be on the interests of fans.

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The average football fan has been sickened by what has happened. They are willing to see what repair work is going to be done.

The episode has left FIFA with considerable work to do to restore confidence. Boyce noted that the "average football fan has been sickened by what has happened" and that Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term as president, must now focus on "repair work" to regain credibility. The pressure on Infantino intensified as regional confederations UEFA and CONCACAF expressed a loss of confidence in his leadership. Infantino's senior advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, also resigned, calling the proposal "a bad deal for football."

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The president of FIFA is a very high-ranking position. And now, if he wants to retain his position, he's got to start the repair work caused by the damage from what I can only describe as a ludicrous suggestion.

Boyce also voiced broader concerns about FIFA's stewardship of the game, including ticket prices at the recent World Cup and the use of VAR. He urged FIFA to return to its core mission: promoting the game for the average football supporter. The controversy comes as Infantino faces a potential challenge in the upcoming presidential election.

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He's (Infantino) got eight months where somehow he's got to get the credibility back. He's got to get the credibility back within, obviously, the member associations.