Gianni Infantino’s situation keeps getting worse by the minute. After the news of UEFA going after Infantino and FIFA with criminal charges, there are now allegations that he also tried to mess with the U-15 World Cup without the knowledge of other council members.
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“FIFA president Gianni Infantino reportedly discussed a potential €215M+ investment from Todd Boehly’s Eldridge for a proposed U-15 “World Cup” without notifying the FIFA Council,” reported Touchline, quoting Adam Crafton.
Gianni Infantino’s Under-15 World Cup plan has created another headache for FIFA. The tournament was supposed to unite 211 nations and bring thousands of children to the football pitch. But major questions are being asked after council members learned about private investment discussions through reports.
The Athletic reported that sources close to three members said they were unaware of those investment talks in the Under-15 World Cup. That revelation has now placed FIFA’s leadership under another serious scrutiny.
The original plan was much bigger than a normal youth tournament. Infantino wanted all 211 FIFA members invited, creating a worldwide football festival for U15 athletes of every association.
More than 4,000 children were expected to participate across the proposed competition. The format would use shorter matches and smaller pitches, inspired by baseball’s Little League. Infantino later said sponsors and broadcasters were needed to make such projects possible, especially with all the associations involved.
Behind that vision was an investment proposal worth more than $250 million.
Juan Carlos Rodríguez developed the proposal with backing from Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries. Discussions also involved top companies like ESPN and Disney. There were also reports of FIFA licensing lasting 20 or 30 years for them. The idea involved generating returns through broadcasting deals, sponsorships, and commercial rights.
And this is where several council members started to question Infantino’s approach.
Those members believed that Infantino had used his power and had gone beyond his role by exploring private investments without consultation. But FIFA pushed back, saying that the council members knew what the administrators were doing to cover the costs.
Eventually, FIFA rejected the Boehly-backed proposal while keeping the tournament.
The tournament will continue, but questions around Infantino have not disappeared. FIFA decided the first event would take place in Azerbaijan without any investors being involved. Infantino continues describing it as a festival designed to grow football across the world.
Meanwhile, UEFA is seeking documents for planned Swiss criminal proceedings against him. Things could not get any worse for FIFA and Infantino.