Gianni Infantino’s £7.5billion cash grab leaves football on brink of civil war 60 years on from England’s greatest day

THE World Cup used to be so simple — and today serves as the perfect reminder of that. It was exactly 60 years ago that Bobby Moore was lifting the Jules Rimet trophy and being hoisted on the shoulders of his England team-mates. Gianni Infantino’s soulless cash-grab has reminded everyone how simple football used to be Credit: Alamy When England won the World Cup 60 years ago the biggest worry was the trophy being stolen before Pickles the dog found it Credit: Getty Those iconic scenes at Wembley came after a tournament that had just 16 teams and lasted only 20 days. There were no hydration breaks or half-time shows and certainly no private investors looking for a slice of the pie. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! The biggest worry was the trophy being stolen — and even that had an innocent ending, thanks to Pickles the dog finding it. Sadly there is no Pickles this time to save the messy situation, which is rapidly becoming a dog’s dinner. Football is on the brink of civil war after Gianni Infantino revealed on Tuesday his radical plans to flog off parts of the World Cup. It essentially involves the creation of a new company, Fifa Forward Enterprise, that would allow them to sell stakes in their commercial and event operations. Fifa stress those shareholdings would be “minority” and “non-controlling” investments — yet could still raise US$10billion (£7.52bn). Uefa have warned it “crosses a line” and are expected to hold an emergency meeting on the matter. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Top football travel deals Others — such as Asia’s governing body, the AFC — revealed they were “not consulted on the proposal” and were blindsided by Infantino. The same applies to Concacaf, who represent Central and North America and are “deeply concerned by the lack of due process” that has taken place. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has waded into the debate and the outcry on social media is so great that some are pining for the days of Sepp Blatter. Imagine saying that when Infantino’s predecessor announced in 2015 that he was finally ending his 17-year reign of corruption as Fifa president? The nuclear option of some countries boycotting the World Cup has been floated, namely by those at Uefa. That was their solution back in 2021, when Fifa proposed hosting the World Cup every two years. It is the obvious move to play as Fifa know the tournament simply does not work without the European heavyweights, especially if you are inviting 64 teams to the party, as is Fifa’s proposal. At this summer’s 48-team World Cup, six of the eight quarter-finalists were from Europe. Watch the latest SunSport video series The winners, Spain, were too — and that was also the case in 2018 when France got their hands on the trophy. Infantino’s big plan to sell stakes in the World Cup is around the commercial money that can be made. But that is simply a non-starter if the Uefa teams refuse to be a part of this wild new landscape. The fear is, though, that it is harder to predict a united front coming from those that oppose this outlandish scheme. Cash is king — and there is a lot of it on the table for those that give Infantino’s proposals the green light. The Fifa president has written to all 211 of the governing body’s member associations, who will vote on the matter. In the letter, Infantino outlined the extra £30million they could receive by giving the thumbs-up to his plans. Part of that comes in the shape of a £15m lump sum, which member associations would have access to. Best sport travel offers HERE are our top picks of the best sport travel trips this summer. We have teamed up with some of the UK’s finest travel firms to come up with these offers. 🏎️ SEE the Italian Grand Prix with tickets, flights and 5 nights in a hotel for just £789pp. – – MORE DETAILS HERE 🏇 TREAT yourself to a trip to York Ebor with £20 off hospitality – – MORE DETAILS HERE 🎯 WATCH the world’s finest darts players go head to head at Butlin’s Minehead at the PDC Championship Finals — MORE DETAILS HERE * If you click on a link we will earn affiliate revenue. RETRO ENGLAND SHIRT DEALS The idea would be that it is spent on things like stadiums and training centres, with the money’s use audited. Countries would then get access to a further £15m over the following three years through their member association funding. The upcoming cycle from 2027-30 was budgeted at £6m per member association — but Fifa say that would rise to £15m if Infantino’s proposals are voted through. Clearly, some countries would welcome a cash boost like that and there has been praise for the plans as well as opposition. The Czech Republic FA’s president, David Trunda, has given them his backing and will not be alone. And then there is the elephant in the room — Russia. Infantino revealed earlier this year that Fifa would look into reintegrating them into international football after they were banned in 2022 following their invasion of Ukraine. That could lead to further splits between European countries, with Russia having political influence over at least half a dozen Fifa member associations. Ultimately, it is the vote of those members that will decide if Infantino gets his wish. The controversial Swiss requires majority support from them and also backing from the Fifa Council, which consists of 37 members. And whether people like it or not, history has shown us that Infantino usually gets his way. The fiasco around USA star Folarin Balogun’s suspension reprieve at the World Cup this summer showed that and made a mockery of the game. There were concerns afterwards about Donald Trump’s influence, as the US President got his way by simply picking up the phone. Fifa had already cosied up to Trump by awarding him their inaugural ‘Peace Prize’ after he was snubbed for the Nobel version. The question now is, does anyone have a trump card to stop Infantino? Comment now