President Donald Trump’s suck-up pal Gianni Infantino met a wave of worldwide resistance to his soulless money-making scheme.
Both Europe’s UEFA and North and Central America’s Concacaf soccer confederations on Thursday rebuked the FIFA president’s plan to sell stakes in the league’s World Cup to private investors to make himself tens of millions of dollars.
“UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the soccer governing body home to World Cup champions Spain said in a statement. “UEFA and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors.”
“Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will,” the statement concluded. “And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”
Following its own meeting later on Thursday, Concacaf, whose members include the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, also rejected Infantino’s proposal and stood by UEFA in their condemnation.
The U.S. Soccer Federation wrote in an Instagram story that it “stands with Concacaf and its members.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to FIFA for comment.
Infantino, 56, revealed earlier this week his proposal to sell a stake in a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprises, which would control sponsorship and broadcasting rights.
Sources told The Times that Infantino could take on a role as commissioner of the FFE that would entail a $64 million salary—about ten times what he currently makes as the league’s president.
The effort—which is being funded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner—would eventually take over the league’s commercial operations, including future World Cups.
Following backlash, Infantino said the proposal would need majority support from its 211 member associations and the FIFA council in order to be implemented.
It would be the first time FIFA has opened up to private investors if the plan is realized.
Infantino’s move follows his good friend Trump’s appearance at the FIFA World Cup final match between Argentina and Spain earlier this month.
Trump was booed multiple times, and even tried to steal the spotlight as Spain hoisted the World Cup trophy on stage.
