Fifa has confirmed it hopes to sell stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors, with the possible involvement of Joshua Kushner, brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared. The plan, announced alongside a 15-page Instagram rant from Fifa president Gianni Infantino decrying 'hate and false rumours,' has drawn fierce opposition from football governing bodies.
Plan details and reaction
The investors would buy into a new $20bn company, Fifa Forward Enterprise, which would sell all of Fifa’s commercial rights, including ticketing, and take charge of 'operational delivery' of World Cups. National associations would receive a $30m windfall. Critics argue the plan would accelerate hyper-monetisation, leading to more frequent and larger tournaments, distorting the international calendar. Innovations like hydration breaks—which break games into four quarters for extra advertising—would likely proliferate.
Comparison to European Super League
The proposal revives fears from the failed European Super League in 2021, which was fiercely opposed by supporters. During this summer’s World Cup in the US, Kushner and others will have seen vast commercial possibilities. Uefa and Concacaf have voiced angry opposition, suggesting football governance is at a crossroads. Infantino’s self-promotion and efforts to curry favour with the Trump administration have long grated, but placing the world’s most-watched sporting competition at risk from private capital is seen as a different order of magnitude. Jules Rimet, the World Cup’s creator, hoped it would foster unity; Infantino pays lip service but follows the money.
