LONDON — Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, is pressing forward with a plan for two new global tournaments that could reshape soccer’s international calendar, putting it on the agenda for a meeting of the sport’s leaders this week. But one of the organization’s most powerful stakeholders is not happy about it, and is threatening to walk out of the gathering in protest.
The proposal, a $25 billion plan for a revamped Club World Cup and a new national-team competition, is fiercely opposed by members of UEFA, European soccer’s governing body.
The plan, from an investment group led by the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, was introduced earlier this year by FIFA, which oversees global soccer.