Real Madrid has welcomed FIFA’s decision to abandon its controversial proposal to allow private investment in the FIFA World Cup, describing the reversal as a victory for football and its supporters.
The Spanish club reacted after FIFA President Gianni Infantino withdrew the proposal on Friday following strong opposition from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and several other continental football confederations.
In a statement released on Sunday, Real Madrid said the decision was in the best interest of the sport.
“Our club believes this is good news for football, for its institutions and, above all, for the millions of fans of our beloved sport,” the club said.
The Spanish giants also expressed appreciation to UEFA, football confederations, national federations and other institutions that opposed the proposal.
“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.”
Real Madrid, a founding member of the failed European Super League project, announced in February 2026 that it had reached an agreement with UEFA to improve relations and support the future of European club football after years of tension.
FIFA had announced on Tuesday plans to establish a commercial subsidiary to manage its flagship competitions, including the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, with the new entity open to private investment. Infantino had argued that the initiative could generate up to $4.2 billion in additional funding.
However, UEFA led widespread opposition to the proposal, warning that European teams could boycott FIFA competitions if the plan went ahead. The governing body also declared that it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership, piling pressure on FIFA before the proposal was ultimately withdrawn.