The football world governing body FIFA is scrapping a controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors after a fierce backlash from several of the world’s continental federations, and a threat from Europe to boycott future tournaments if the plan went through.

“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Friday.

More to come…