A proposal that divided world football
European soccer’s governing body UEFA announced that it had withdrawn its confidence from FIFA President Gianni Infantino following his suggestion to spin off FIFA’s commercial activities into a $20 billion subsidiary that would be 20 percent owned by private investors.
The plan, which was being pushed by a New York‑based firm linked to Joshua Kushner, would have turned the sport’s premier tournament into a vehicle for private capital, a move that UEFA described as a secret scheme that threatened the integrity of global football.
In response, the 55 member nations of UEFA voted to boycott all FIFA competitions, while CONCACAF in North America and the Asian Football Confederation also voiced strong opposition. Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino, resigned in protest, underscoring the depth of dissent.
FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour later told staff that they had been misled about the true nature of the proposal, emphasizing a lack of transparency in the planning process.
Infantino’s previous attempts to monetize the World Cup, including a $25 billion SoftBank deal in 2018 and a proposal for a biennial tournament in 2021, had already been abandoned amid similar resistance, making the latest spin‑off effort appear as a continuation of his strategy to extend both his influence and personal earnings beyond his current term.