Infantino FIFA Deal With Trump World Blows Up World Soccer
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing a global revolt over plans to sell a stake in the commercial business behind the World Cup to private investors. At the center of the proposed Infantino FIFA Deal is Joshua Kushner, the billionaire younger brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Joshua Kushner’s investment firm is expected to lead the potential investor group seeking a stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise, a new subsidiary that would control major commercial operations including broadcasting rights, sponsorships, ticketing and licensing.
FIFA reportedly values the business at approximately $20 billion and wants to raise about $4.2 billion by selling roughly 20 to 21 percent to outside investors. FIFA insists that it would retain control over sporting decisions and the structure of its competitions.
UEFA Threatens Boycott Over Infantino FIFA Deal
The backlash has been immediate. UEFA and all 55 of its national associations unanimously rejected the proposal and threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the privatization plan proceeds. European officials accused FIFA of developing the project in secrecy and warned that outside shareholders would place profit ahead of the interests of teams and supporters.
The dispute represents one of the most serious challenges to Infantino’s leadership. A European boycott could threaten future men’s and women’s World Cups and fracture the structure of international soccer.
FIFA has offered each of its 211 member associations as much as $20 million in additional development funding if they support the plan. Critics describe the offer as an attempt to secure votes for the equity sale.
Who Is Joshua Kushner?
Kushner founded the venture-capital firm Thrive Capital after graduating from Harvard. The company backed major technology businesses including OpenAI, Instagram, Spotify and Stripe.
Forbes estimates his fortune at approximately $5.2 billion, making him the wealthiest member of the Kushner family. He is married to former supermodel and media executive Karlie Kloss. Although both are registered Democrats, Kushner remains closely connected to Trump through his family.
His brother Jared is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka and served as a senior White House adviser during Trump’s first administration. Joshua and Jared also had business ties: They helped launch the real-estate investment platform Cadre, while Jared previously invested in Joshua’s Thrive Capital.
Their father, Charles Kushner, was pardoned by Trump in 2020 and now serves as the president’s ambassador to France and Monaco.
The Trump Connection
There is no evidence that Trump, Jared Kushner or Ivanka Trump is directly participating in the FIFA negotiations. But the family connection has intensified scrutiny because Infantino has cultivated an unusually close relationship with the president.
Infantino has repeatedly praised Trump and said access to the White House was crucial to staging the 2026 World Cup. FIFA also rented office space in Trump Tower, sending payments to the president’s family business. Reports said the office remained largely unused.
After the World Cup, Trump and Infantino hosted FIFA officials at a reception inside Trump Tower.
Congressional Democrats have now demanded documents relating to gifts, payments and benefits involving FIFA, Trump and his associates.
That does not prove corruption. But the Infantino FIFA Deal places a Trump-linked billionaire at the center of a multibillion-dollar transaction proposed by a FIFA president whose close relationship with the Trump family is already under investigation.
