
A project discussed and criticized within world football would have brought huge financial benefits to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, according to an investigation published by The Times.
The plan to sell around 20% of the World Cup rights through FIFA's subsidiary Forward Enterprise, with an estimated value of around 3.65 billion euros, has been cancelled after strong objections from UEFA, CONCACAF and the organization's sponsors.
But what has caused the most debate is Infantino's potential benefits. Although the FIFA president has stated that he had no intention of deriving personal profit from this initiative, The Times investigation claims that he could have benefited from a salary of around 30 million euros, including bonuses.
This figure would be much higher than Infantino's current salary, which is reported to be around 3 million euros.
The project was planned to be put to a vote by FIFA's 211 member associations, with the federations promised significant financial rewards. However, strong opposition from within international football prevented the initiative from moving forward.
Despite the criticism and debate surrounding the management of the project, Gianni Infantino continues to hold the position of FIFA president.