After reports of the World Cup being sold: Blatter erupts in anger over the relationship between Trump and Infantino | Goal.com

Published on 28 Jul 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Sepp Blatter, the former president of FIFA, has hit out at current president Gianni Infantino's intention to sell the World Cup in the form of shares to private-sector investors, with Infantino taking on a role akin to that of a commissioner in this new project.

The former FIFA chief went straight for Infantino, savaging the plan revealed by The Times and The Telegraph. It would create a new company to manage the commercial rights of the World Cup, the Women's World Cup and the Club World Cup, with between 20 and 30% of its capital handed to private-sector investors.

Valued at around 17.3 billion euros, the operation continues to stir wide controversy across football. For Blatter, it represents a direct threat to the essence of the game.

He told the website "Foot Mercato": "The close relationship between the president of FIFA and the president of the United States has reached a financial dimension that causes serious harm to football. No one has the right to sell our sport," pointing specifically to the alleged ties with investors close to Donald Trump's inner circle.

Blatter's latest broadside lands amid growing opposition to Infantino's project. UEFA had already come out firmly, insisting that "the spirit of football and its governance are not assets for sale". Now the former FIFA president has thrown his implicit backing behind the reform's opponents.

Many leaders fear the profit-driven approach imposed by private-sector shareholders could lead to a more frequent World Cup, an expanded tournament, or hosting rights awarded chiefly on commercial grounds.

Infantino himself is in line to head this future structure once his current term ends. Accusations of conflict of interest are mounting, and the pressure on FIFA keeps building.

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