Infantino loses "unbeaten status."

The former marketing director of the International Olympic Committee considered the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino to be a "toxic burden," adding that the Swiss-Italian's decade-long reign at the helm of the global football body has "ended."

Infantino was forced, in recent hours, to backtrack on a plan to introduce private sector investors into its competitions, most notably the World Cup, after facing widespread criticism and concerns about turning football into a commodity amid suspicions of conflicts of interest.

FIFA unexpectedly revealed on Tuesday a plan aimed at raising funding for football development to $10 billion over the next four years, but it was met with sharp criticism, both in terms of its content and the manner of its presentation.

Infantino intended to establish a company named "FIFA Forward Enterprise," which would be open to private sector investors and manage FIFA's commercial activities and major events, in addition to granting exceptional payments of $20 million to each of the 211 member associations, each of which has one vote in FIFA.

The project raised widespread fears that it would affect the nature of football tournaments and turn football into a purely commercial activity.

Following angry reactions worldwide, Infantino retracted the plan on Saturday.

Michael Payne, the former marketing director of the International Olympic Committee, told AFP: "I don't think we've ever seen such a rapid fall from grace for a sports leader," adding, "Just a week ago, Infantino was flying high after organizing a very successful World Cup, and he expected to run unopposed in next year's elections to continue his term as FIFA president." He continued, "Now, Infantino will struggle to stay in office until the end of the month. How did he get himself into this mess? It's excessive arrogance!"

The signs do not look positive for the 56-year-old Swiss-Italian, as both UEFA and the North American, Central American, and Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF), which includes the United States, Canada, and Mexico— the three host countries for the 2026 World Cup, which concluded on July 19— were among the entities that expressed their dissatisfaction with his leadership.

UEFA stated that it has lost "trust" in him due to his "dubious deal," while CONCACAF called for a "comprehensive review of this presidency."

Payne, who contributed for nearly two decades to the International Olympic Committee in modernizing the organization's brand and improving its financial situation, expressed concern about the implications of Infantino remaining in his position.