Macron intervenes: French President blocks FIFA's commercial World Cup plan

French President Emmanuel Macron has personally intervened in the escalating crisis surrounding FIFA's commercial direction. According to reports from L'Équipe, the French leader held a direct phone call with FIFA president Gianni Infantino to register his outright opposition to the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" project.

The plan sought to sell a portion of the World Cup's commercial rights to private investment funds. While the deal was projected to bring in billions of dollars, it sparked intense backlash from European football governing bodies, who feared a potential loss of control over the world's most prestigious football tournament.

Macron did not stop with the FIFA president. He also contacted Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football, to declare full support for the position taken by UEFA and its president, Aleksander Ceferin, who led the campaign against the project. Sources close to the French government confirmed that the president remains deeply involved in such matters, maintaining the same stance he took against the European Super League in 2021, citing concerns over sporting merit and solidarity.

This high-level political intervention has forced FIFA to back down from the proposal. The event has left the governing body under increased pressure, with growing calls for a fundamental reassessment of its management and the commercial path pursued by Infantino's administration.