The shocking amount Infantino allegedly earned from selling the World Cup revealed

FIFA president Gianni Infantino could have earned nearly £47 million ($63 million) a year if his controversial plan to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup had succeeded, according to several reports.

The project, which was eventually abandoned following widespread opposition, would have increased Infantino's earnings by around 42 million pounds sterling on top of his current annual salary of around 4.5 million pounds sterling, bringing his total remuneration to almost 1 million pounds sterling per week.

This plan aimed to raise £3.1 billion in private investment for FIFA's Football Future Enterprise (FFE) project.

Reports suggested that JPMorgan was acting as an advisor, while Jared Kushner-backed investment firm Thrive Capital was among the potential buyers of a 20% stake in the company. Despite repeatedly stating that "nobody is selling football," Infantino ultimately abandoned the proposal after strong opposition from football's governing bodies and member associations.

UEFA reportedly led the resistance, with its member nations threatening to boycott future FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also criticized the proposal. The English Football Association (FA) supported UEFA's position, stating: "We fully support UEFA's position."

The FA added: "The time has come for a comprehensive and rigorous review of FIFA's governance and leadership to ensure that global football is run transparently, in the best interests of all 211 member nations, and with the long-term management of football at its core."

Following this outcry, Infantino confirmed that the proposal would not go any further.

"After carefully listening to all opinions, it became clear that the project has created divisions of such a nature that, regardless of the level of support, they no longer serve the originally intended purpose."

He continued: "Our goal has always been – and always will be – to unite and improve."

In announcing the withdrawal of the proposal, he stated: "Consequently, this proposal will not be maintained."

Infantino added that he would strive to restore unity among football stakeholders.

He stated: "In the future, my intention is to bring all stakeholders together again in the coming days and weeks, in a spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the aim of continuing to grow football everywhere, especially in the countries that most need our support."

Despite the controversy and criticism surrounding this failure, reports indicate that Infantino intends to seek another term as FIFA president in the 2027 elections.