FIFA abandoned the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which aimed to sell approximately 20% of a commercial subsidiary valued at $20 billion to private investors to raise up to $4.2 billion.
UEFA voted unanimously among its 55 member federations, meeting urgently on July 30, to boycott all FIFA competitions until the project was completely abandoned, a position joined by CONCACAF.
Carlos Cordeiro, senior advisor to Gianni Infantino and close associate of Donald Trump, resigned, calling the project a 'bad deal' for football.
Where it breaks apart
— CONMEBOL's Measured Response — While UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC issued firm rejections with boycott threats, CONMEBOL chose to request clarifications on the project's governance without formally joining the uprising.
— Framing Infantino's Retreat — Some media outlets present the project abandonment as a personal governance rebuke targeting Gianni Infantino directly, others describe it more factually as an institutional compromise between FIFA and its confederations.
— Weight of the Trump-Kushner Connection — American and Argentine media place the family connection between the prospective investor and Donald Trump at the heart of the narrative, while other perspectives mention it factually without elevating it to a central issue.
Sport international
FIFA Drops Plan to Sell World Cup Stakes to Private Investors
FIFA has dropped a plan to sell up to 20% of a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to private investors including Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital fund. The withdrawal, announced by Gianni Infantino in late July and early August 2026, follows a unanimous UEFA vote in favour of boycotting FIFA competitions, joined by CONCACAF and the AFC. Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino's senior adviser, resigned, calling the plan a bad deal for football. In exchange, FIFA had offered payments to its 211 member associations.
Key figures
$20bn
Valuation of the FIFA Forward Enterprise subsidiary targeted by the stake sale
