Former Scotland striker and current pundit Alan Brazil has publicly demanded the departure of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, following the executive's controversial proposal to sell minority stakes in the FIFA World Cup to private investors. The plan, which has since been shelved due to significant pushback from various confederations, had promised each of the 211 member associations up to $40 million. Criticizing the move, Brazil stated, "He's got to go. He thinks he's Jesus! Thinks he's unthinkable."
The proposal faced immediate hostility, with UEFA threatening to boycott the World Cup if the commercialization plan proceeded. This pressure has placed Infantino’s position in jeopardy ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for March. The controversy follows a period of tension for the FIFA president, who recently used Instagram to attack critics of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which featured 48 teams and three co-hosts.
Internal friction within FIFA has also surfaced. Secretary general Mattias Grafstrom sent a critical note to staff, describing recent events as a "sad and reproachable series of events" that were "difficult to comprehend and accept." In response to the growing turmoil, Infantino has convened a meeting with senior FIFA executives in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, August 5. Those expected to attend include finance chief Thomas Peyer, legal chief Emilio Garcia Silvero, chief of staff Daniel O'Toole, chief of member associations Elkhan Mammadov, and media relations director Bryan Swanson.
Separately, Arsene Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, stated on Tuesday that he had no prior knowledge of the controversial stakes sell-off plan.
