Infantino is billing the plan as "the democratisation of football," but the announcement has been met with incredulity and rage from fans, politicians and regional governing bodies. The proposal involves selling off stakes in Fifa's competitions to private investors via associates of US President Donald Trump.
The Proposal
The big selling point, according to Infantino, is $40 million in funding given to all Fifa countries to "develop the game" once the deal is finalised. If football federations accept his plans, they will access an initial $20 million each.
In a letter sent to each country, Infantino stated:
"The decision whether or not to proceed with this proposal belongs entirely to you. In exchange, all that is required is your trust – everything else remains the same."
The appeal is clear: vote to help make Fifa richer, and Fifa will make you richer too. The proposal will appeal to many nations, particularly those lower down the football food chain, for whom a $20 million windfall would be more than they would ordinarily make over several years.
How Infantino Can Push the Plan Through
Since being elected Fifa president in 2016, Infantino has earned long-standing, widespread backing from many countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas, which have gained financially from various policies he has managed.
These include the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams, the growth in commercial and broadcast revenue Fifa has overseen, and a programme which allocates millions in funding directly to member countries every year. That gives him a base of support which constitutes more than half of Fifa's 211 members.
Fifa votes require a simple majority. If more than half vote in favour, Infantino's plan will come into effect.
The Trump Connection
The investment fund Fifa is dealing with, Thrive Capital, is led by Josh Kushner, the brother-in-law of Trump's daughter Ivanka. Fifa says Greg Maffei, the American former president of Formula 1 owner Liberty Media who has donated to Trump's political campaigns in the past, is acting as a "key commercial advisor."
The proposal follows years of Infantino making overt attempts to deepen his and Fifa's ties with Trump. He created a Peace Prize and awarded it to Trump, opened a Fifa office in Trump Tower New York, allowed the Club World Cup trophy to be kept in the Oval Office at the White House, and laughed along during Trump's inauguration speech in which he threatened World Cup co-hosts Canada and Mexico.
Last week, Infantino heavily mimicked Trump's language when he released a statement describing those who criticised aspects of the organisation of the World Cup as "so consumed by hate and criticism."
The Conflict with UEFA
Infantino's proposal has deepened his ongoing conflict with European governing body UEFA, the most powerful and wealthy regional organiser. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final in protest against Fifa's decision to overturn USA striker Folarin Balogun's suspension after an intervention from Trump.
One of the cornerstones of the division between the two is that Fifa's revamped and expanded Club World Cup has become a clear, direct threat to UEFA's Champions League. Previously UEFA was the only organisation which ran an international club football competition featuring the best players, watched by billions around the world and generating significant profits. Last summer Fifa muscled in on that elite club football territory.
On Tuesday UEFA said Fifa's plan is "to use our sport to enrich themselves and their friends."
Some reports indicate a threat by European nations to boycott the World Cup could be possible. The theory is that a World Cup without European countries would severely compromise the tournament's value to Fifa.
Criticism and Concerns
Miguel Maduro, a former chairman of Fifa's governance committee who claims he quit that role after 10 months because Infantino and Fifa's wider leadership disagreed with how the committee was operating, described the proposal as "a form of legalised bribe."
"Fifa works as a political cartel – it is fed and supported on a system of patronage, that works through the money Fifa distributes to national federations. There have been cases of corruption," he said. "There is a very high likelihood that this proposal will be approved."
BBC Sport understands many UEFA members are angry about the plan and that a meeting is set to be convened for them to discuss a response.
Private equity investment has already transformed sports in the USA, with rules changed in baseball, basketball, American football and ice hockey to allow for more minority investments in the past decade, causing team values to skyrocket. La Liga and Ligue 1 have already sold portions of their operations to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners in exchange for an immediate influx of money.
Infantino is hopping on a trend in sports economics rather than trying out something entirely new but stands to further entrench his own power if he succeeds.
With reporting from BBC Sport.
