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FIFA President Gianni Infantino finds himself on the brink of political collapse. His plan to sell a 20% stake in the organization’s commercial subsidiary to private investors for $20 billion triggered an unprecedented rebellion from football’s leading confederations. UEFA threatened a boycott of all FIFA tournaments, including the World Cups, and was swiftly joined by CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation. At the center of the scandal lies the investment company of Joshua Kushner, brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, which was set to become the deal’s “anchor investor.” According to media reports, Infantino has already turned to the Trump administration in a desperate attempt to save his job. The story has exposed not only the corrupt underbelly of football’s highest echelons but also the direct link between the Kushner family and the US president’s inner circle that nearly brought global football to the brink of a split.
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The scandal erupted in late July 2026, when Infantino’s plan to create a commercial entity called FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) and sell 20% of its shares to private investors for $20 billion came to light. Under the FIFA president’s proposal, each of the 211 national associations would receive $20 million upfront and an additional $66 million by 2037. However, UEFA’s leadership viewed the initiative as an attempt to “transfer ownership of the World Cup to private investors.” In an emergency statement, the European confederation emphasized that “the World Cup is not an investment product” and “will never be sold.” UEFA threatened that all 55 of its national associations would withdraw from any FIFA tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, until the plan was completely scrapped.
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UEFA was immediately joined by CONCACAF (North and Central America), including the United States, Canada, and Mexico hosts of the 2026 World Cup as well as the Asian Football Confederation. In total, 143 national associations out of 211 opposed the plan. The AFC, in its statement, demanded an “urgent review of FIFA’s governance,” citing “fundamental weaknesses in consultation and decision-making processes.” Even CONMEBOL (South America), which had long remained on the sidelines, requested additional details from FIFA about the project’s structure and management.
On Friday evening, Infantino was forced to shelve the project. But his problems are only just beginning. Two senior FIFA officials publicly opposed the plan: the president’s special advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned in protest, stating he “cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup.” Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, who had worked with Infantino since their UEFA days, accused him of deceiving staff through a lack of transparency, calling it “one man’s project.”
The central figure in the scandal is Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka. His New York-based investment company was set to become the deal’s “anchor investor” and receive a 20% stake in FFE. According to media reports, this was not Infantino’s first attempt to cozy up to Trump’s inner circle: he had previously established the “FIFA Peace Award,” allowed Trump to intervene in a process that resulted in US striker Folarin Balogun playing in the World Cup, and was now trying to seal a 12-year deal with Kushner’s firm.
Moreover, according to the NY Post, Infantino, coming under fire, turned to the Trump administration for help. The FIFA president requested a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a desperate bid to save his job, though Trump himself, when asked by reporters at Camp David, stated that he had “never spoken to him” about the proposal.
The FIFA scandal is not merely a story about football finances. It is a stark illustration of how personal ambition and political connections can jeopardize entire institutions. Infantino, who over 10 years in power, more than quadrupled funding for national associations, believed he could bypass all democratic procedures, relying on the support of 211 votes he had grown accustomed to buying with money. But he miscalculated: European and American football officials proved unwilling to sell the planet’s biggest sports brand to private investors, even for generous promises.
The role of the Kushner family in this story is the most intriguing aspect. The attempt to push through a multi-billion-dollar deal through the brother of the US president’s son-in-law looks like a classic example of leveraging political capital for commercial gain. That Infantino, in desperation, turned to the Trump administration only confirms that for him, FIFA is not a sports organization but a political instrument that can be traded.
The consequences of this crisis will be long-lasting. Even if Infantino survives a vote of no confidence (which requires 43 votes), his authority has been permanently undermined. UEFA and other confederations have demonstrated their willingness to break away, which means that at the FIFA Congress in Rabat in March 2027, he will face a serious battle for re-election. The main lesson of this story is simple: even the most powerful official cannot sell what does not belong to them. The World Cup belongs to billions of fans around the world, not to political intriguers and those seeking personal enrichment.
