Real Madrid Reacts as FIFA World Cup Investor Plan Is Scrapped
Spanish football giants Real Madrid have welcomed FIFA’s decision to scrap its controversial plan to allow private investment in the FIFA World Cup, calling it a victory for football and its fans.
But the plan was scrapped on Friday amid widespread opposition from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and several other continental football confederations, forcing FIFA President Gianni Infantino to backtrack.
Real Madrid, 15-time winners of the UEFA Champions League, said in a statement issued Sunday they welcomed the collective efforts of the football’s governing institutions to oppose the proposal. “Our club believes this is good news for football, for its institutions and, above all, for the millions of fans of our beloved sport,” Real Madrid said.
The Spanish club also thanked UEFA, national football federations and other stakeholders for taking a strong stance against the initiative. “Real Madrid wants to express its gratitude to UEFA, to the confederations and federations, and to all the institutions that firmly and responsibly opposed this project.“Their unity and sense of duty have saved football at a critical time,” the statement read.
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It is another chapter in the ongoing relationship between Real Madrid and Uefa. In February 2026 the Spanish club, one of the original members of the failed European Super League project, said it had reached an agreement with UEFA to strengthen European club football and end years of strained relations.
Earlier this week, FIFA announced plans to create a commercial subsidiary to operate its flagship tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. The proposed entity is expected to be open to private investment, Infantino said. It could generate as much as $4.2 billion.
But UEFA reportedly rejected the suggestion fiercely, threatening to boycott FIFA competitions and saying it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
In the end the fierce opposition forced FIFA to abandon the project, a decision that was welcomed by Real Madrid and other interested parties, who argued that the governance of football should remain independent of private financial interests.
