Fifa's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors has provoked a sharp backlash from Uefa and national football associations, intensifying tensions with president Gianni Infantino just weeks after the tournament concluded. The proposal, announced only nine days after the final, could give private investors influence over how and when Fifa's tournaments are run, prompting Uefa to declare that it "crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross" — echoing similarly strong language it used weeks earlier over the handling of the Folarin Balogun suspension row.

Fifa has given national associations until 19 September to decide whether to accept an initial $20m payment that would effectively endorse the new scheme, leaving little time for a coordinated European response. The World Cup itself generated a record $15bn, though Fifa has not detailed how this will be distributed. Infantino appears well placed to push his plans through, with more than 200 of Fifa's 211 member associations already backing his re-election bid, and England's FA among early supporters, reportedly keen to secure its hosting of the 2035 Women's World Cup; Germany is described as the most prominent holdout resisting pressure to fall in line.