Infantino Apologises For World Cup Sell-off Plan

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has apologised for his World Cup sell-off plan at a three-hour FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday – and the Peace Prize he awarded to US President Donald Trump looks set to be ditched.

Infantino’s expression of regret for not telling the council about his plans earlier was not good enough for European football leaders, including FA chair Debbie Hewitt, who still want him to resign, as reported by Sky Sports.

UEFA wants Infantino to release all documents relating to the plan as they believe the 20 per cent stake in all future FIFA tournaments was being sold for a knockdown price.

Meanwhile, the FIFA Peace Prize, which Infantino handed to Trump in December, is likely to be scrapped, with FIFA’s Football Social Responsibility Committee assessing the award and reasons for it.

Also Read: Africa Is Strongly Behind You –CAF President Assures Infantino

The Peace Prize was only introduced in 2025, meaning Trump is the award’s sole recipient to date. News of its expected scrapping emerges despite FIFA saying last year the award was to be “bestowed on an annual basis”.

During the meeting, Infantino also faced scrutiny on the decision to suspend the one-match ban of USA striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. It was determined FIFA’s Legal Committee will review disciplinary procedures, with their findings – and those on the Peace Prize – to be presented at the next council meeting in December 2026.

FIFA has also announced plans – through the FIFA Surplus Solidarity Programme – to use some of its reserves to more than double the level of planned funding for the 2027-2030 period to $6.35bn, including around $25m to each member association. That idea will also be examined in December.

James Agberebi is a sports content creator and analyst with a passion for football and other sports. He writes sports news, match reports, and analysis to keep fans informed about the latest developments in the sporting world. James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men’s and women’s national teams. His experience covering Nigerian football gives him a good understanding of the game and the teams he writes about. Through his work with Complete Sports, James shares sports updates, match coverage, and analysis with readers in Nigeria and around the world.