Eventually we found out why Infantino is so close to Trump A $20 billion deal is on the table

The FIFA yesterday released an official statement announcing its intention to create a new company that will oversee the commercial rights and operational management of its competitions, most notably the men's and women's World Cup and the Club World Cup. "Football is the world's most popular sport and an extraordinary driver of human and social development," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in the statement. "Some parts of our sport have transformed that popularity into significant commercial value. We celebrate that success and want it to continue because it benefits the entire football ecosystem. Our responsibility is to ensure that the rest of the game grows alongside it: FIFA exists to support sustainable and inclusive development in every corner of the world."

What is FIFA Forward Enterprise and how will it work?

The news had first been reported by The Times and the Financial Times on Tuesday morning before FIFA officially confirmed it just a few hours later. The goal is to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company that will manage FIFA's commercial operations, ranging from sponsorships and licensing to the sale of match tickets and broadcast rights. FFE will also be responsible for the operational management of FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups as well as the Club World Cup.

According to FIFA's estimates, the company is expected to raise $4.2 billion by the end of the year, based on an initial equity valuation of $20 billion. The funds will come from outside investors, which is where the controversy begins. The group responsible for attracting those investors will be led by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Jared Kushner, husband of Ivanka Trump and son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The relationship between Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump

The relationship between Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump has faced criticism since their very first meeting, largely due to Infantino's apparent devotion to Trump. That relationship culminated in two particularly controversial episodes: awarding Trump the FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025—a sort of substitute for the Nobel Peace Prize—and the political pressure Trump allegedly exerted on Infantino to overturn Folarin Balogun's suspension so he could play against Belgium in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Now that the 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to an end, the real reason behind this bromance appears much clearer. Infantino needed Trump's support—through his family connections—to bring this project to life and effectively remain at the helm of FIFA indefinitely. In March 2027, barring any major surprises, Infantino is expected to be re-elected for what should be his fourth and final term as FIFA president. Under the current rules, his mandate would expire in 2031. However, if the FFE project is approved, he would become its CEO. Unlike the presidency, that position would have no term limit, allowing him to retain political and financial control over FIFA for as long as he wishes.

UEFA's criticism of the FIFA project

So far, the only major criticism of the project has come from UEFA through a statement signed by president Aleksander Čeferin. UEFA accuses Infantino of orchestrating the initiative without sufficient transparency. It also argues that allowing outside investors into FIFA's commercial structure could seriously undermine the organization's independence—and, by extension, that of all the national associations under its umbrella.

In its statement, FIFA insisted that it would "retain exclusive control over FFE and exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, the international match calendar, and all regulatory and sporting decisions." That scenario, however, appears difficult to reconcile with FIFA's recent history, having repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to compromise its own autonomy during the last two editions of the World Cup. Ultimately, Infantino is creating his own version of a Super League by putting FIFA's most valuable assets—the World Cup itself—on the market, despite being the very person tasked with protecting them.

What happens next?

Formally, the proposal still requires approval from FIFA's Council. However, in an apparent effort to remove any lingering doubts, FIFA also announced that "its flagship development programme aims to increase funding for each FIFA Member Association (MA) from $8 million to $20 million for the 2027-2030 cycle, with funding continuing to grow in future cycles. These investments will support infrastructure, coach education, national teams, competitions, grassroots football and women's football." A financial promise that is likely to persuade the Council to approve Infantino's proposal, effectively putting the World Cup up for sale.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has presented the 211 affiliated federations with a plan that would significantly reshape the economic model of the World Cup: by allowing private investors to acquire stakes in the tournament, each federation could receive up to $40 million, supported by a total funding package worth $10 billion. However, federations will have only until September 19 to accept the proposal, with FIFA highlighting a substantial financial gap between approving the plan and rejecting it: without the agreement, projected revenues would fall to $2.7 billion, almost 75% less.