Jared Kushner's brother may purchase part of the World Cup: "A red line"

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is promoting a move that could alter the power structure in world football and spark a confrontation with European associations. According to a report in The Times, Infantino is working to establish a new company to manage FIFA's major national team tournaments, with the venture capital fund Thrive Capital, owned by Joshua Kushner — brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump — expected to be among the potential investors.

The plan includes establishing a company to manage FIFA's major national team competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups, as well as the Club World Cup. Under this framework, the 211 member associations of FIFA would receive shares in the new company alongside private investors, while FIFA would retain a controlling stake.

According to the report, the White House is aware of the move. If the deal goes through, Infantino is expected to earn tens of millions of dollars. Kushner plans to make the investment through Thrive Capital, the venture fund he leads.

It was also reported that Infantino may continue in a central role even after his term as FIFA president ends in 2031. Under the outline, he is expected to head the new company as commissioner, with a salary potentially comparable to that of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who earns about $64 million annually.

FIFA stated that such a role and salary have not yet been discussed, but emphasized that if the company is approved, FIFA and its president "should have a leading role." In a statement provided to The Times, the organization noted it is "exploring ways to promote the development of football around the world."

The move is drawing sharp opposition from UEFA, which has defined the plan as a "red line." The European organization argues that football is not a commercial asset to be sold to private investors without transparency.

"This is a red line that football institutions should never cross. UEFA takes this very seriously, and so should every national association, league, club, player, fan, government, and anyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and management of football are not assets that can be traded, especially when there is no transparency regarding who benefits from it financially. None of us owns football. It is not FIFA's to sell," UEFA said in a statement.

According to the BBC, the 55 member associations of UEFA are expected to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the plan and formulate joint action. Sources in European football have even raised the possibility of boycotting FIFA tournaments if the move progresses.

UEFA acknowledges that it represents only a portion of FIFA's 211 member associations, but argues that most of the world's strongest national teams are in Europe; six of the eight quarter-finalists in the last World Cup were European.

A senior source in English football told the BBC that "the threat posed by FIFA's plan is one of the most serious the game has ever known," comparing the situation to the attempt to establish the European Super League in 2021.

FIFA is a non-profit body, with revenues from the last four World Cups estimated at approximately $15 billion. The inclusion of private investors in managing the organization's flagship events raises concerns among European officials about a significant shift in the power structure.

This is not the first time Infantino has attempted to promote private capital in FIFA's activities. In 2018, he tried to promote a $25 billion deal with Japan's SoftBank and a Saudi Arabian investment fund, but the initiative failed due to a lack of support.

Furthermore, this is not the first connection between Infantino and Donald Trump. During the last World Cup, Trump's name surfaced after he admitted to personally approaching Infantino following a controversial red card issued to U.S. national team player Folarin Balogun in a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following the appeal, the penalty was overturned.