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See the full story · 13 sourcesFIFA recently announced plans to sell up to 21 percent in the newly formed FIFA Forward Enterprises to private investors -Credit:MICHAEL BUHOLZER, AFP via Getty Images
Democratic opponents jumped on reports this week that a company operated by Joshua Kushner, brother of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, is anticipated to spearhead a private investor consortium in a proposed multibillion-dollar stake purchase of World Cup commercial rights - characterizing the transaction as yet another instance of the Trump family benefiting from its connections to FIFA.
The dispute centers on a plan unveiled this week by FIFA to offload up to 21 percent of a newly established entity , FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE), to external investors.
The new corporation would assume commercial operations for FIFA's flagship events, including the men's and women's World Cup and the Club World Cup, while FIFA maintains majority ownership and authority as soccer's international governing body, as per The Mirror US .
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Based on FIFA's statement, the transaction aims to generate $4.2 billion upfront, calculated on an initial equity assessment of $20 billion, with funds allocated toward a tripling of development assistance to FIFA's 211 member associations over the forthcoming years.
FIFA verified that JPMorgan has acted as its principal financial consultant on the strategy, and that Thrive Eternal, an investment vehicle established by Joshua Kushner, is "expected to lead the proposed investor group" for FFE.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has fostered a close relationship with President Trump throughout the 2026 World Cup cycle, characterized the proposal as a step toward "the democratization of football worldwide," claiming it would enable member associations "to shape its own future, deciding for itself rather than relying on others."
A social media post from the House Judiciary Dems account responding to the announcement captured the frustration among Trump's critics, characterizing FIFA under Infantino as having gone "directly into business with the Trump family."
"Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren't enough - now Infantino performs a kickback hat trick by pursuing a multibillion-dollar deal with Jared Kushner's brother to sell ownership stakes in the World Cup to private investors," the post read.
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It continued: "Soccer fans were already priced out of the World Cup by FIFA's corrupt price gouging before-more oligarch corruption just means more corporate tarnishing of the beautiful game."
UEFA fired back with a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, flatly rejecting the proposal and asserting that football "isn't FIFA's to sell." The 55-nation European governing body is moving to convene an emergency meeting this week to weigh potential responses, including a possible boycott of FIFA competitions.
"This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross," UEFA said in its statement. "The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade - especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell."
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's successor, Andy Burnham, became the first major world leader to publicly condemn the plan, writing on social media that "football doesn't belong to investors."
ESPN sources reveal there is considerable internal resistance to Infantino's proposal among UEFA's membership, mirroring the successful pressure campaign that compelled FIFA to scrap a 2021 initiative to stage the World Cup every two years after UEFA threatened a boycott.
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