FIFA Kushner World Cup plan faces September 19 deadline
Gianni Infantino gave FIFA federations until September 19 to accept a $20m offer tied to a private-investor World Cup plan.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has given the sport’s 211 national federations until September 19 to decide whether to accept the FIFA Kushner World Cup plan, The Associated Press reported. The proposal would give each federation a one-time $20m payment as part of a plan to sell a minority stake in a new FIFA business unit to private investors.
The offer is backed by Thrive Capital, the investment firm run by Joshua Kushner, according to AP. Joshua Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump.
AP reported that Infantino laid out the plan in a letter to member federations on Wednesday. In the letter, he described it as a “singular and unique funding opportunity” and said it was his responsibility to bring such opportunities to FIFA’s members.
What is the FIFA Kushner World Cup plan?
The plan would create a FIFA subsidiary valued at $20bn to run FIFA competitions and events, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups, according to AP. Private investors would own 20 percent of the new company.
If a majority of FIFA’s 211 members approve the proposal, each federation would receive $20m from the commercial cycle connected to the 2030 men’s World Cup, AP reported. Infantino’s letter said a wider group of international investors would join Thrive Capital as anchor investor, with J.P. Morgan leading the process.
If the plan fails, federations would receive the $10m already promised to them over the next four years, according to the letter cited by AP.
Football bodies push back
The proposal drew fast criticism from UEFA, whose leaders said the World Cup “is not FIFA’s to sell,” according to AP. UEFA is expected to call its 55 member associations into an emergency online meeting, likely on Thursday.
CONCACAF, the body for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, also raised concerns on Wednesday. “We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process,” it said in a statement reported by AP.
The Asian Football Confederation said it was disappointed that an issue of such scale had become public before its members had a chance to review and discuss it. The AFC is based in Kuala Lumpur.
Continental bodies run their own major competitions, including the Champions League, the European Championship and Copa America. AP reported that those organizations are likely to see a risk in FIFA seeking higher revenue and investor value by staging World Cups and Club World Cups more often.
Political opposition emerges in Britain
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham also criticized the plan, according to AP. His government is preparing to support a 2035 Women’s World Cup bid involving England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, which FIFA is due to confirm at an online meeting in November.
“Football does not belong to investors,” Burnham said in a video message on Instagram. “Once you have sold a piece of [the World Cup], you have sold out. Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will.”
The reaction recalls the political resistance that helped derail the European Super League in 2021. AP reported that British lawmakers, including then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, threatened legislation against that project, which critics said threatened UEFA’s Champions League and which Infantino had discreetly supported.
The investor proposal is the latest major project advanced during Infantino’s 11-year presidency. AP cited earlier efforts including a FIFA Peace Prize and an unsuccessful push to hold the World Cup every two years instead of every four.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.