Infantino’s Profit-Sharing Plan Crumbles
FIFA president Gianni Infantino called off a contentious proposal to sell a 20% stake in future World Cup revenues to private investors, a move that would have funneled billions into the hands of a select group including Thrive Eternal, a firm tied to Joshua Kushner and Jared Kushner.
The scheme was to be executed through a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise, which aimed to raise $4.2 billion by offering each of FIFA’s 211 member federations an initial $20 million, with the prospect of increasing that amount to $24 million by 2038.
European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, responded swiftly, threatening to boycott all FIFA competitions unless the plan was withdrawn, citing fears that private capital would demand more matches and upset the sport’s competitive balance.
Senior FIFA officials did not stay silent; former Goldman Sachs banker Carlos Cordeiro and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour publicly denounced the initiative, with Lamour’s remark effectively signaling that Infantino could dismiss him if he persisted.
In South America, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez said the confederation would evaluate the proposal rigorously, leaning on Infantino’s pledge to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, but stopped short of endorsement.
The fallout has cast doubt on Infantino’s bid for a third term; potential challengers such as Nasser al‑Khelaïfi of Paris Saint‑Germain and Canadian vice‑president Victor Montagliani are now viewed as viable alternatives as the March vote in Rabat, Morocco, approaches.
While the plan promised a lucrative extension of Infantino’s tenure — potentially surpassing his current $6 million salary — its collapse has eroded his credibility and left the future of the FIFA presidency in flux.