Civil war in football – FIFA points to fake news, moves full steam ahead with World Cup deal – UEFA threatens total boycott

Global football is entering a state of war following the shock decision by the 55 UEFA member associations to launch a total boycott of all FIFA competitions. The cause is the controversial plan to sell shares of the World Cup to American private equity funds—specifically to Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital fund (who is the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law and senior advisor to US President Donald Trump)—with European authorities denouncing an attempt to shift the sport's center of gravity. Despite the storm of reactions and threats of an unprecedented World Cup blackout, FIFA leadership and Gianni Infantino launched a counteroffensive, dismissing the criticism, denouncing "fake news" that disrupts the process, and declaring their determination to proceed full steam ahead with the multi-year plan.

FIFA moves full steam ahead with the plan

FIFA responded to the threat of a boycott by European nations with a statement declaring that "nobody is selling football," while placing blame on the media for disrupting the consultation process regarding controversial plans to sell World Cup shares to American private equity funds. Facing an unprecedented rebellion that eclipses the existential threat of the 1966 World Cup when African nations withdrew, FIFA issued a statement today, Friday (31/7/2026), acknowledging the strong backlash. However, it refrained from withdrawing the plans, reaffirming its commitment to proceed with the consultation process. "We respect the comments and concerns expressed publicly and reaffirm our commitment to an open and democratic consultation," the statement read. "The scheduled consultation process was disrupted by inaccurate media reports. We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that every member association has the opportunity to cast its vote based on facts."

Allegations against FIFA

UEFA accused FIFA of putting the "soul" of the sport up for sale, while CONCACAF, the governing body for North, Central America, and the Caribbean, stated that it opposes the plan and "rejects the proposal." The AFC, Asia's governing body, stated that it holds "great concern and disappointment" over not being consulted by FIFA prior to the public announcement of the plans, describing the lack of details provided as "completely unacceptable."

Infantino's World Cup plan

The firm stance of the European block dealt a blow to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has openly backed the proposal. Under the plan, a new commercial entity would be created, Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would oversee commercial and organizational activities. As part of the plan, external investors would be offered stakes of up to 20%, with promised outside investment delivering millions of dollars in additional funding to each national football association. "FFE was proposed solely to ensure that all FIFA member associations have the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of football's commercial opportunity in their countries, and that this will not come at the expense of either the spirit or the governance of FIFA or football itself," the FIFA statement continued. "Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever consider. Everyone has the right to express their opposition and ask for further clarification, but no single entity can claim to represent all 211 member associations across the world. Every association must have the right to examine the proposal and have a say in shaping its own future. These are the democratic principles of FIFA." The announcement added that FIFA remains open to discussion as part of the consultation process, noting that "this could include approval, rejection, or amendment in whole or in part."

Trump in the background

The affair acquired an intense geopolitical and political dimension when the investors behind the venture were revealed. According to international reports, a central player in the negotiations is Joshua Kushner's investment fund, Thrive Capital. It is noted that Joshua is the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law and senior advisor to US President Donald Trump. Furthermore, Infantino's close personal and political relationship with Trump has placed the deal under the scrutiny of international observers. Foreign analysts emphasize that this move is interpreted as an effort to shift the center of gravity of football governance away from Europe (Zurich/Nyon) and toward the US. At the same time, reports by the London Times indicate that the plan provides for Infantino to transition into the position of "Executive Commissioner" of FFE following the end of his term at FIFA (until 2031), securing him a massive compensation package and permanent control over commercial broadcasting revenues. European associations express fears of an attempt to transfer the center of gravity of global football to American capital, while reports circulate indicating that Infantino is securing a leadership role with vast personal benefits.

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