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Gianni Infantino wants to turn international football into private equity. FIFA’s plan to carve off a 20 per cent stake in its commercial empire for $4.2 billion has met immediate resistance across Europe and beyond, with opponents accusing Zurich of handing football’s crown jewel to political insiders and corporate raiders.
Under the proposal, a newly minted subsidiary named FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) will consolidate broadcast rights, sponsorships, licensing, and tournament operations. Valued at $20 billion, FFE intends to lure private investors by dangling slices of future World Cup revenue. FIFA insists it will retain absolute authority over sporting rules, scheduling, and governance, claiming the cash injection will triple developmental payouts for its 211 member nations.
Yet critics smell a sellout. Particular heat surrounds Thrive Eternal, an investment firm launched by Joshua Kushner, brother to Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Opponents view the potential involvement of a Trump-connected shop as the latest sign of Infantino entangling the global game with Washington power brokers.
European football authority UEFA is already contemplating nuclear options, including an emergency meeting to discuss a potential World Cup boycott. Former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter blasted his successor on social media, declaring that no one has the right to peddle football to financiers.
The pushback extends past Europe. Governing bodies in Asia and North America released sharp statements attacking Zurich for blindsiding member associations without consultation. Meanwhile, US Democratic lawmakers labeled the project an oligarchical cash grab, pointing to skyrocketing ticket costs and Infantino’s ongoing ties to the Trump family, which previously included renting office space in Trump Tower and presenting the former US president with an artificial peace prize.
Newly installed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham publicly warned that the World Cup was never anyone's property to trade away. With Infantino facing a re-election vote next year, this battle over football's commercial soul is set to dominate the sport's global agenda.
