DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

World Cup up for sale? Infantino's $20 billion plan sparks war with UEFA (Trump's son-in-law also in the game)

2026-07-29 13:57:04Sport SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

World Cup up for sale? Infantino's $20 billion plan sparks war with UEFA

Gianni Infantino opens FIFA's doors to private capital and incites an open war with Nyon (UEFA headquarters).

The creation of the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” aims to raise $4.2 billion by selling minority stakes in the World Cup. Among the backers is the fund of Trump’s brother-in-law. UEFA has not welcomed the move at all and has spoken of a serious lack of transparency.

​It is a real time bomb that exploded by the British daily Financial Times and immediately confirmed by Zurich: Gianni Infantino is selling football to private funds. The FIFA President has officially announced the plan to create the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” (FFE), a commercial holding valued at 20 billion dollars (about 17.5 billion euros), destined to exclusively manage the rights and organizational machinery of the World Cup and the Club World Cup.

The stated goal is to raise $4.2 billion (3.7 billion euros) by the end of the year, selling minority shares (“without control powers,” FIFA specifies) to carefully selected buyers. Among the giants involved is the New York investment bank JP Morgan, but what is shaking the palaces of politics and sports is the presence among the potential investors of Thrive Eternal, a fund led by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner (Donald Trump’s son-in-law).

"This crosses a line that football's governing bodies should never cross," UEFA said, calling the situation extremely serious. "The spirit and governance of football are not commodities to be put on the market, especially in the absence of complete transparency about who would benefit economically from it."

​The ties between Infantino and Donald Trump's circle are nothing new, but after the conclusion of the last World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico (which brought in record revenues of around $12 billion), the political and economic synergy has strengthened even further, prompting harsh reactions from UEFA and the European federations.

To assuage the internal discontent of the 211 member national federations, Infantino pulled out his usual weapon of mass seduction: money. During a meeting in Manhattan on July 18, on the eve of the Spain-Argentina World Cup final, the FIFA head promised an unprecedented injection of liquidity through the “FIFA Fast-Forward Program.”

"It's about democratizing football globally," Infantino defended in a statement, calling the move the only way to "unleash untapped commercial potential." But behind the declarations of democratization, there are those who see a ruthless maneuver to secure electoral support ahead of next year's vote, where Infantino is headed for re-election by acclamation for his fourth and final term until 2031.

​It is not the first time that the Swiss leader has attempted a coup with big investment capital. As early as 2018, he tried to pass a secret offer of $25 billion over 12 years, drawn up by the giant SoftBank and backed by Saudi capital. That time was marked by the joint veto of UEFA and European clubs that overturned the plan, saving the Champions League and the European Championship.

​Meanwhile, however, strategic relations with Riyadh have been consolidated: Saudi Arabia sponsored the super-rich 2025 Club World Cup in the USA (won by Chelsea 3-0 against PSG) and has officially taken over the organisation of the 2034 World Cup. Behind the scenes, the mystery of Infantino's personal future remains. The Times daily reveals that he is being considered for the position of super-paid "Commissioner"/CEO at the head of the new FFE, an operational role as a global "super boss", freed from the constraints of institutional mandates. FIFA has denied that this hypothesis has been formally discussed, although it has admitted that "the president will have and must have a leading role in the new entity".

The legal and political battle has just begun. The governance of the ball is shaking, while American and Saudi funds are starting the engines to acquire the greatest jewel in world football.

British Prime Minister Burnham attacks FIFA: "This sport belongs to fans, not investors."

​British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said that “football does not belong to investors”, joining criticism of FIFA’s plan to create a new private company to manage the World Cup and other competitions. On Tuesday, FIFA announced its intention to launch the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a venture that would combine FIFA’s commercial rights sales with the operational management of its tournaments.

The new body will be open to private investors and was immediately condemned by UEFA, which said in a statement that “the spirit and management of football are not commodities to be traded.” Burnham, an Everton fan, posted a reaction on social media to join the chorus of criticism:

"Let me be very clear. Football doesn't belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stadium steps and stand on the sidelines week in and week out, rain or shine," Burnham said.

​EU against FIFA's commercial plan: "Hands off our sport."

​“We are not in baseball here. The World Cup remains the biggest sporting tournament on the planet, despite FIFA exploiting every commercial opportunity. But everything has a limit. The relentless commercialization of football has become corrosive. It is threatening the very elements that make football the most popular sport in the world. Commercial success should strengthen football, not devour it. Hands off our sport,” writes EU Commissioner for Sport Glen Micallef on the X platform, commenting on FIFA’s new plan.

​Micallef further highlights:

​Conflict of interest: “A particular concern arises when FIFA’s regulatory powers overlap with the financial interests of private entities; that is, when the value of investments depends on decisions taken by FIFA. This raises profound questions regarding governance, independence and conflict of interest.”

​Legal issues: “These proposals raise important questions regarding competition law. As has been consistently recognised by the Court of Justice of the European Union, sporting rules are subject to EU law when they produce economic effects. The European Commission will carefully examine these proposals.”

The Maltese Commissioner concluded by supporting UEFA and calling on each national federation to engage in a meaningful dialogue with leagues, clubs, players and fans before taking an official position.

​FIFA: "Kushner Jr. is CEO of the investment group, only a minority of the shares are for sale."

​The fund company where Jared Kushner is CEO is among the investors to buy shares of the new company that owns the commercial rights of the World Cup, "but the private investors will only own a minority stake, not of FIFA, but of a subsidiary of it."

​A FIFA spokesperson clarified this after the huge media frenzy. Thrive, the company of which Kushner Jr. is CEO, “is expected to lead the proposed investor group. Jared Kushner is not a personal investor. The FIFA President and the administration are tasked with overseeing the development of this project.”


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×