US President Donald Trump has denied any involvement in or prior knowledge of FIFA’s plan to sell stakes in its tournaments to private investors, flatly telling reporters he never spoke with FIFA president Gianni Infantino about the proposal before it became public.
The plan, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), would create a new company to manage FIFA’s commercial rights. The leading investment group under consideration is Thrive Eternal, headed by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law.
The proposal has also drawn sharp internal opposition. Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser, submitted his resignation, stating he had no part in developing the proposal and was entirely opposed to it.
Cordeiro said he could not stay silent while a sale of a stake in the World Cup was under consideration, describing the deal as harmful to federations, to football, and to the future of the sport.
