FIFA’s Secret $20 Billion Investment Plan Sparks Rebellion Against Infantino

Gianni Infantino has gone from celebrating the most profitable World Cup in history to facing the biggest political crisis of his FIFA presidency. A plan to open FIFA’s most valuable competitions to private investors was never formally announced, but its reported details have already triggered a wave of internal resignations and public criticism from Europe, North America and Asia.

According to a report from The Athletic, summarized by Clarin Deportes, the project was called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The idea was to create a commercial company to manage FIFA’s top competitions, including the World Cup and the Club World Cup, and then sell 20% of that company in a deal valued at around $20 billion. The most prominent investor linked to the project was Joshua Kushner, founder of Thrive Capital and brother of Jared Kushner, a former senior White House aide during Donald Trump’s administration.

The plan was never made public. The Times and Financial Times reported the negotiations before FIFA could present them, according to Clarin. What followed was a political fight rather than a business debate.

The plan that shattered the status quo

Before the reported plan surfaced, Infantino seemed untouchable. He had presided over a highly lucrative 2026 World Cup, appeared alongside Trump at major tournament events and was expected to seek another term without a serious opponent.

The FFE proposal changed that. FIFA already holds reserves of more than $5 billion, according to the report, and had just closed the most lucrative World Cup in history. That led many football officials to question why FIFA would sell part of its most profitable business. The answer, some suspected, had more to do with shifting FIFA toward a more corporate, private-capital model similar to major American sports leagues.

Internal fallout and the Kushner connection

The backlash inside FIFA was severe. FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour told the Associated Press that FFE “was not a FIFA project, but a project of one person.” He added: “We were deceived.”

Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA’s secretary general and one of Infantino’s closest allies, was reportedly not involved in designing the plan. According to The Athletic, he had been building up disagreements with Infantino over how strategic decisions were concentrated in the president’s hands.

Carlos Cordeiro, the former president of U.S. Soccer and one of Infantino’s key advisers during the World Cup, also resigned. His departure carried symbolic weight because he had been seen as the main link between FIFA and the U.S. administration.

The Kushner family tie added to the controversy. Infantino’s relationship with Jared Kushner developed during the successful bid by Canada, Mexico and the United States to host the 2026 World Cup, according to the report. When reports identified Joshua Kushner as the leading investor, many officials saw political motives behind the proposal. Earlier in the tournament, Infantino had also given Trump the FIFA Peace Award, a decision that reportedly surprised and irritated officials inside and outside FIFA.

Confederations choose sides

The public reaction from FIFA’s regional confederations was split. UEFA reportedly described the plan as “a sordid, opaque deal negotiated in secret.” Concacaf said FIFA had stopped “putting football first.” The Asian Football Confederation also expressed opposition.

Conmebol, the South American confederation, took a more cautious path. It did not support the project, but it also did not join the opposition bloc. Instead, it asked for more information and insisted that any decision must put football first.

That split matters because Infantino has counted on broad regional backing in past elections. The emergence of a clear European and North American opposition bloc makes the road to 2027 much more complicated.

Calls for Infantino to go

The crisis has produced open calls for Infantino’s departure. Javier Tebas, president of Spain’s LaLiga, publicly wrote that Infantino should not continue. Michael Payne, a former IOC marketing director, described the episode as “the fastest fall from grace of a sports leader,” according to AFP.

The first serious challenger to emerge is Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf and FIFA vice president. Montagliani, a Canadian who helped lead the joint North American bid for the 2026 World Cup, is now seen as a possible candidate for the FIFA presidency in 2027. That scenario would have seemed unlikely just weeks ago.

What remains unclear

The full details of the FFE proposal have not been published by FIFA, and the organization has not confirmed or laid out the plan publicly. It is also unclear whether Conmebol will eventually side with Infantino or with the opposition. Montagliani has not formally entered the race, and no other candidates have been named.

The reporting relies on anonymous sources and leaks, so the exact roles of Infantino, Kushner and other FIFA executives may still shift as more information emerges. What is already clear is that the political balance inside world football has changed, perhaps permanently.

Source: Clarin Deportes – https://www.clarin.com/deportes/crisis-amenaza-reinado-gianni-infantino-fifa-plan-secreto-rompio-equilibrio-poder-futbol-mundial_0_NVcMa8s2XC.html