Infantino terrible: The FIFA president's scandalous proposal has put his job in jeopardy
A secret attempt by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to sell the Trump family a stake in the rights to the World Cup has outraged football federations worldwide. Infantino has been forgiven for past indiscretions thanks to the fact that FIFA’s revenues kept growing, but this failed hostile takeover shocked everyone. Infantino could now lose his position, but even if he does, the issue goes far…
In July 2026, the FIFA President faced allegations of wrongdoing that threatened his career. The scandal emerged after months of negotiations to sell one-third of the commercial rights for the men's, women's, and Club World Cups, all without the knowledge of the 211 national federations who owned those rights. The New York Times reported that a new private company, FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE), would be created, with one-third of its shares sold to private investors for $4.2 billion, primarily to Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital.
National federations were given 53 days to agree to the deal, or risk receiving 75% less funding. Infantino, who had served as FIFA President since 2016, was rumored to receive a salary increase of tenfold, from $3 million to $30 million annually, and to retain control of the new company's financial flows. The football community universally condemned Infantino's proposal.
UEFA announced a boycott of all FIFA tournaments, and 41 CONCACAF member associations also rejected the plan. A petition with over 100,000 signatures called for an end to the scandal. Infantino eventually backed down, acknowledging that the proposal was an offer, not an obligation, but maintained that it could "turbocharge the development of the game globally."
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