Spanish football giants Real Madrid have welcomed FIFA’s decision to abandon its controversial proposal to allow private investment in the FIFA World Cup, describing the move as a victory for football and its supporters.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was forced to reverse the plan on Friday following widespread opposition from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and several other continental football confederations.
In a statement released on Sunday, the 15-time UEFA Champions League winners praised the collective efforts of football’s governing institutions in resisting 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 expressed appreciation to UEFA, national football federations and other stakeholders for standing firmly against the initiative.
“Real Madrid wishes 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 protected football at a decisive moment,” the statement added.
The development marks another chapter in the evolving relationship between Real Madrid and UEFA. The Spanish club, which was among the founding members of the failed European Super League project, announced in February 2026 that it had reached an agreement with UEFA aimed at strengthening European club football, bringing years of strained relations to an end.
Earlier this week, FIFA unveiled plans to establish a commercial subsidiary to oversee its flagship competitions, including the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. The proposed entity was expected to be open to private investment, with Infantino projecting it could generate as much as $4.2 billion.
However, the proposal was met with fierce resistance from UEFA, which reportedly threatened to boycott FIFA competitions and expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
The strong opposition ultimately forced FIFA to abandon the initiative, a decision that has been welcomed by Real Madrid and other stakeholders who argued that football’s governance should remain independent of private financial interests.
