Cartoon of the Week: FIFA Abandoned a Controversial Plan That Would Have Placed About 20% of Its Major Commercial Activities in the Hands of Private Investors, After Facing Rejection from Federations, Confederations, and High Officials Within the Organization Itself.
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The plan promoted by FIFA President Gianni Infantino contemplated the creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise, a new company charged with managing the assets that generate a significant portion of the organization’s revenue.
Among those assets were the organization of tournaments such as the World Cup, the sale of broadcasting rights and sponsorship, tickets, and hospitality packages.
The project valued the business at $20 billion
The proposal sought to raise approximately $4.2 billion through the sale of stakes equivalent to about 20% of the new company. The operation was based on an overall valuation of $20 billion.
Thrive Eternal, a firm created by Joshua Kushner, appeared as the main investor in the project. Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, and the son-in-law of President Donald Trump.
The scheme also offered $20 million to each of FIFA’s 211 affiliated federations. It also contemplated doubling the resources they would receive during the four-year period ending in 2030, from $10 million to $20 million.
Federations are, in practice, owners of FIFA due to the organization’s structure as a nonprofit association under Swiss law. The entry of private capital raised questions about who would control in the future the commercial decisions tied to its competencies.
UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions
Infantino withdrew the project after opposition spread across international football. UEFA even warned of a possible boycott of matches and events organized by FIFA.
The FIFA Global Football Development Director, Arsène Wenger, stated that he did not participate in the plan’s design and learned of its existence from journalistic reports. Wenger supported its cancellation and defended the need for FIFA to maintain its independence.
The organization’s Secretary General, Mattias Grafström, also distanced himself from the project. In a message to staff, he described what happened as a series of reprehensible events that generated a crisis difficult to understand and accept.
Kevin Lamour, FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer, had previously stated that employees were misled about the initiative and described it as a project of a single person.
Infantino’s Future Under Pressure
The conflict occurred a few weeks after the 2026 World Cup final, held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The tournament boosted FIFA’s revenues to about $15 billion during the 2023-2026 commercial cycle, nearly double the figure associated with the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Infantino, who has presided over FIFA since 2016, appeared poised to secure a new unopposed term in the election scheduled for March 2027. However, the crisis has prompted some federations to reconsider their backing and to increase discussions about a possible rival candidacy.
The deadline to submit presidential candidates expires on November 18. So far, Infantino has not offered a detailed public explanation about the project or about the growing distancing of officials who are part of his own administration.
The cancellation currently prevents private investors from acquiring a direct stake in the World Cup business and other competitions. The controversy, however, keeps open the debate about FIFA’s business model, the transparency of its decisions, and the future of its presidency.
Related note: The 2026 World Cup came to an end and left new stories for Houston.
