Real Madrid CF has issued a strong statement welcoming FIFA’s decision to abandon its controversial plan to privatize a significant portion of the commercial rights for major international competitions, including the World Cup. The move comes amidst widespread opposition from various footballing bodies and a direct call for FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s removal by La Liga President Javier Tebas.

FIFA had initially proposed retaining a 51% majority stake in its flagship tournaments while selling the remaining share to private investors through a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE). This scheme drew heavy criticism, with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham publicly slamming the notion, UEFA planning a World Cup boycott, and CONCACAF also rejecting the proposal.

Real Madrid, in a statement published on realmadrid.com, praised UEFA for its firm stance against the plan and expressed relief at the reversal. “Real Madrid CF welcomes FIFA’s decision to abandon its proposal for the partial sale of the commercial rights to its competitions,” the club stated. “Our club believes this is good news for football, its institutions, and above all, for the millions of fans of our beloved sport.”

The Spanish giants emphasized their belief that international football and the World Cup are events of public interest and a heritage belonging to nations, fans, and society as a whole, rather than mere financial assets. This position aligns with the club’s consistent philosophy, having previously opposed and refused to participate in La Liga’s operation with CVC, which committed a percentage of clubs’ future audiovisual revenues for fifty years. Real Madrid firmly opposes any attempt to sell future commercial revenue from competitions without assuming associated costs or risks.

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Calls for leadership change at FIFA

While welcoming the scrapped privatization plan, the controversy has intensified calls for a change in FIFA’s leadership. La Liga President Javier Tebas has been particularly vocal, urging for Gianni Infantino to be sacked from his position. Tebas, commenting on social media, stated, “Infantino should not continue. FIFA’s withdrawal of its proposal to privatise its competitions is good news. But it would be a grave mistake to believe that the governance problem has been solved by this. Continental and national federations, leagues, and players should not be content with the withdrawal of this proposal and consider the matter closed.”

Tebas outlined several issues from Infantino’s tenure that he believes warrant his dismissal:

• The withdrawal of a red card following political intervention.

• An open investigation in the US Congress requesting Infantino’s appearance.

• The dropping of charges in historic FIFA corruption cases.

• Shocking World Cup ticket prices.

Unilateral decisions regarding the international match calendar, new competitions, and tournament systems without dialogue.

The European footballing body UEFA has also directly stated a loss of confidence in the FIFA president, signaling a broader discontent across the game’s governing structures. As reported by GiveMeSport, the August 2, 2026 announcement of the privatization plan’s abandonment marks a significant victory for those who opposed the scheme, but the underlying governance issues continue to fuel calls for reform at the highest levels of world football.

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