Former FIFA Vice President Jim Boyce said on Sunday world soccer¡¯s governing body should focus on the interests of fans after ?President Gianni Infantino abandoned plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors, calling the proposal ¡°ludicrous.¡°?FIFA had proposed raising up to $4.2 billion by selling a roughly 20% stake in a new entity that would oversee FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
The proposal, unveiled on Tuesday, drew immediate backlash. European soccer¡¯s governing body UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA events ?and accused the organization of putting the sport¡¯s ¡°soul¡± up for sale.
FIFA had argued that selling a minority stake in ?its commercial ?operations would generate billions of dollars to support soccer development worldwide and accused the media ?of mischaracterizing the proposal.
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