Shameless Infantino to cling on as Fifa chief after being forced into humiliating U-turn over plot to sell off World Cup

GIANNI INFANTINO is set to cling on as Fifa president despite being forced into a humiliating U-turn over his plot to sell off the World Cup. The under-fire chief announced he was backtracking on his plan to allow private investors to buy up a chunk of the global tournament after sparking a global backlash. Gianni Infantino refused to step down as Fifa president Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Despite plans to sell off part of the World Cup being shelved, he is set to remain in charge Credit: Getty But he isn’t about to walk away from the top job – even after his senior advisor quit and the whole of Uefa turned on him. In a statement, shameless Infantino said: “Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! “Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve. “As a result, this proposal will not proceed. “Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.” With the challenge of rebuilding trust once again, Infantino faces a huge period ahead. His unprecedented cash-grab saw entire confederations slam the decision, coming together in unity to oppose his Bond villain-like greediness. Uefa went as far as announcing a boycott of all Fifa events in an attempt to pile the pressure on Infantino. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS He faces pressure from Uefa chiefs ahead of next year’s election Credit: Getty And this controversy has put his 2027 election sweep in serious doubt. Infantino had been well placed to head into a fourth term in charge with no opposition. But the Folarin Balogun red card scandal and now Fifa Forward Enterprise’s (FFE) humiliating project have put Uefa bigwigs on alert. Reports suggest that Infantino could face an unexpected challenger next summer. Some names raised as potential successors include Uefa head Alexander Ceferin, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Concacaf candidate Victor Montagliani. Beyond those figures, Infantino’s popularity has plummeted after a lengthy period of it waning in the first place. Going back, the shifting of Fifa regs to allow him an extra term as president, manufacturing Saudi Arabia‘s solo 2034 World Cup bid, the expansion of tournaments in spite of player welfare worries and handing Donald Trump the inaugural Peace Prize have all grated. Now he has been forced to scrap his own footie saviour scheme – one which could have seen him earn £1MILLION each week. The former Swiss banker remains the most powerful man in the game – just about. But his standing has been rapidly eroded and it waits to be seen how long he can stay afloat. 7 comments7