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FIFA plan for Kushner-backed $20 billion operation to run World Cup meets fury from Europe’s UEFA
AP News ^ | July 28, 2026 | GRAHAM DUNBAR

Posted on 07/28/2026 11:03:31 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan to create a $20 billion company running the World Cup with private investors including the Kushner family was announced Tuesday — and immediately attacked by European soccer body UEFA.

“It is not FIFA’s to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “None of us are the owners of football.”

Infantino’s plans to form a commercial subsidiary, which would be called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), running competitions like the World Cup and Club World Cup was first reported by The Times of London.

FIFA said in a statement FFE would raise up to $4.2 billion later this year to help fund development programs “based on an initial equity valuation of $20 billion by carefully selecting long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests.”

FIFA is working with J.P. Morgan while intended investors include Thrive Eternal launched by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is a son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The men’s World Cup that finished this month only deepened the political and personal ties between Trump and Infantino, and fueled concerns about those ties including from UEFA.

“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially,” UEFA said Tuesday, responding to the reports of selling stakes in FIFA competitions.

(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Sports
KEYWORDS: associatedpress; clubworldcup; fifa; fifaforward; gianniinfantino; grahamdunbar; jaredkushner; joshuakushner; jpmorgan; leftistsource; soccer; thriveeternal; uefa; worldcup

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1 posted on 07/28/2026 11:03:31 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

UEFA is displeased. The E is for Europe and they don’t like not controlling the money.


2 posted on 07/28/2026 11:36:37 PM PDT by citizen (All Bush-era RINOs have got to be primaried out.)
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To: citizen

They never controlled the money. Fifa did and does. Infantino is just about to sell what little is left of the soul of football.He tried it before, but this time he might actually succeed.

Uefa should boycott the World Cup if that happens. Uefa has been dominating the World Cup for decades. Whithout them it would be absolutely meaningless and Fifa would go broke.

I know, i know, not gonna happen because they are almost as much about greed as Infantino, but you can dream.


3 posted on 07/29/2026 3:35:36 AM PDT by MoraBlack
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To: MinorityRepublican

Oh, joy.

Bigger, better bread and circuses.


4 posted on 07/29/2026 3:39:22 AM PDT by normbal (normbal. Non-native Tennessean.)
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To: MinorityRepublican
Related. And note the bit that was buried way down in this article...

GI SWIZZ Why ‘dictator’ Gianni Infantino’s shameful plot to sell World Cup is destined to succeed despite Uefa’s furious backlash

From the above...

...Fifa has explained how that money could then be used to support infrastructure, coaching, national teams, competitions, grassroots football and the women’s game....

Bold is mine.

5 posted on 07/29/2026 3:52:53 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)
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To: MoraBlack

See my reply #5.

Go woke and go broke.


6 posted on 07/29/2026 3:53:37 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)
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To: mewzilla
Oh, good frickin' gad...

FIFA’s $29bn bombshell promises a huge slice for Australia... but comes with a harrowing catch

And, as usual, its all Trump's fault.

Seriously, they're blaming the president.

7 posted on 07/29/2026 3:58:53 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Because Europe does everything better haha.


8 posted on 07/29/2026 4:54:37 AM PDT by yldstrk
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