Kushner states regret over World Cup sell-off plan

Venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, who was to lead the investment in FIFA president Gianni Infantino's scrapped scheme to sell off World Cup stakes, now regrets his involvement, according to his initial public statements since the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan was abandoned. Kushner expressed regret, stating that he would not have joined the proposal had they been aware of its eventual outcome.

He acknowledged that he had failed to grasp the political complexities of global football. Despite his criticism, Kushner defended the proposal's underlying motivations, asserting that the intention was to distribute more capital and equity equally among FIFA's 211 member associations. Thrive Eternal, a firm founded by Kushner, had been in discussions with Infantino regarding a $4.2bn investment in 20% of a new Fifa commercial subsidiary before the plan was shelved in July after a significant backlash.

This comes as UEFA is seeking court approval in New York to subpoena testimony and documents from both Kushner and Thrive Eternal, as they consider pressing a criminal complaint against Infantino in Switzerland.