FIFA World Cup fallout: Infantino scraps private investment plan

World football's governing body, FIFA, has said it will not proceed with its proposal to sell a piece of its business empire to outside investors after the project was met with fierce resistance from some of its member associations.

"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 in a statement late on Friday evening.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, meanwhile, told reporters on Friday that Infantino was "the wrong man to lead the organisation".

Infantino is due to stand for re-election for a final term through 2031, and was expected to be unopposed following the overall success of the recent World Cup, which was cohosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

North American football chief Victor Montagliani, meanwhile, has been linked with a move to challenge Infantino for the FIFA presidency in next March's election.

Infantino said in April he would seek a fourth term as FIFA president, with the election scheduled to take place in Morocco on March 18 next year. The deadline for potential candidates to declare in a presidential vote of the 211 members is November 18.