Kuala lumpur: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa on Saturday expressed support for FIFA's decision to abandon plans to sell a stake in the World Cup.

According to Anadolu Agency, Shaikh Salman released a statement through the AFC, emphasizing that proposals potentially affecting global football should be presented and discussed with confederations, the FIFA Council, member associations, and other stakeholders in a "timely, transparent and meaningful manner." He stated that the future of global football must be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue, and respect for established governance structures.

Shaikh Salman also noted that the AFC is prepared to support initiatives aimed at strengthening unity in the sport. This comes after FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on Friday the decision to drop plans to sell a stake in a new subsidiary responsible for the World Cup and other competitions. Infantino mentioned that the proposal had "created divisions" and was no longer aligned with its original intent.

The plan had involved selling over 20% of the newly proposed $20 billion FIFA Forward Enterprise subsidiary to private investors, according to reports.