Perhaps you will have seen the headlines since Tuesday when the FIFA president’s plot slipped out without fully comprehending the cynicism and greed behind it. Somehow, Gianni Infantino has found a way to portray himself as an even bigger pr*ck than he already was. FIFA says it would retain sole control of the subsidiary as well as “exclusive authority” over football governance, competitions, the match calendar, and all regulatory and sporting decisions. A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the proposal will soon be presented to the 211 member associations and the FIFA Council, which would be the sole final decision-makers on the matter.
FIFA stated that money from the capital raise would be used to establish an optional program allowing member associations to access up to $20 million—an amount that was almost doubled 24 hours later—in one-off capital for infrastructure, coaching, national teams, competitions, grassroots football, and the women’s game. That figure would rise to $24 million, triple the current amount, by the 2035-2038 cycle. FIFA insisted that outside investors will have only a minority stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and will not play any operational role, noting that they are investing in a subsidiary and not in FIFA itself.
Even accounting for the assumption that any Infantino idea is inherently bad, this is a doozy. It has been described as a “nuclear bomb” and “potentially much worse than the European Super League,” which was a disaster. You cannot simply sell the World Cup; it should never be viewed as an asset to trade, especially to private investors, hedge funds, or sovereign wealth funds, with no transparency over how much influence their riches buy them. This is shaping up to be a battle for the soul of football while billionaires seek to grab more money and power. If you thought ticket prices at the 2026 World Cup were bad, just you wait.
A vehicle founded by venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner and son-in-law of US president Donald Trump, is expected to lead the proposed investor group. This is set to be Infantino’s reward for spending significant time with the US president. Reports from The Times suggest Infantino will head up FFE, perhaps acting as commissioner, which would net the FIFA president a ten-fold salary increase. UEFA stated the proposal “crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” adding that the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade. Prime Minister Andy Burnham also weighed in on Tuesday night.
The English FA was blindsided by the plan, stating they were completely unaware of the proposal and have no substantive details. They expressed deep concern about the lack of process and governance. Even former FIFA president Sepp Blatter criticized the move, stating the close relationship between the FIFA president and the US president has reached a financial dimension that is deeply damaging to football. While the majority of UEFA’s 55 member associations seem set to protest, some, like Czech FA president David Trunda, see pragmatic benefits in the plan. Infantino is reportedly using strong-arm tactics to ensure approval, with European nations considering a boycott of the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if he does not back down.
“We were completely unaware of this proposal and have no substantive details, including what the proposition actually is, and what conditions are attached. “Based on the limited information, we are deeply concerned about the lack of process and governance to get to this point, and the apparent substance and principles involved. “When the proposal is shared in the full and transparent way now promised by FIFA, we will make our views clear, and comment further.”
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