{
  "id": 4768468,
  "title": "Joshua Kushner blames football power struggles for Fifa World Cup plan collapse",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/joshua-kushner-blames-football-power-struggles-for-fifa-world-cup",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-01T02:15:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/sports/2026/09/01/joshua-kushner-blames-football-power-struggles-for-fifa-world-cup-plan-collapse/233478"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New York, September 1 - Investor Joshua Kushner criticized power struggles within global football for the backlash against Fifa's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. The venture capitalist, brother of President Donald Trump's son-in-law, revealed his firm \"would not have participated\" if the potential fallout had been anticipated. The collapse of the plan occurs as European governing body Uefa prepares to file a criminal case against Fifa president Gianni Infantino. Kushner stated in an email to AFP, \"While we stand behind the motivations of FFE, we failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football, and the lengths some would go to.\" He added that Thrive Capital, his firm, had worked on the deal in private for months and would have led the investment process. Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) aimed to introduce private investment into Fifa events, including the World Cup, by selling shares in a US$20 billion commercial subsidiary. Fifa claimed the proposal would have generated US$4.2 billion to aid poorer football-playing nations, with member associations able to vote to reject it. Critics accused the plan of being hatched secretly to profit investors, with Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin describing it as a \"shady, opaque backroom deal.\" Uefa has demanded Infantino's removal and accused him of \"criminal mismanagement.\" Legal documents seen by AFP indicate Uefa is collecting evidence for a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland, where both Uefa and Fifa are headquartered. Reports suggest Kushner may face subpoenas from US media, with Uefa requesting a New York judge's permission to demand documents and depositions from Kushner and his firm. Despite not being targeted as defendants, Kushner and Thrive are expected to cooperate in the Uefa case. Kushner, an investor in the record US$12.5 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Lakers, stated that \"Money in football has historically been concentrated amongst a small group of countries.\" The FFE proposal aimed to distribute capital and equity more evenly among all 211 member countries, benefiting underdeveloped nations and enhancing the global game.",
  "summary": "NEW YORK, Sept 1 — Investor Joshua Kushner on Monday blamed power struggles within global football for the outrage...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "Kushner states regret over World Cup sell-off plan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/kushner-states-regret-over-world-cup-sell-off-plan",
        "published": "2026-08-31T18:38:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Sky News",
        "title": "Jared Kushner's brother breaks silence on World Cup sell-off plans",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/jared-kushners-brother-breaks-silence-on-world-cup-sell-off-plans",
        "published": "2026-08-31T18:56:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Kushner states regret over World Cup sell-off plan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/kushner-states-regret-over-world-cup-sell-off-plan-4699624",
        "published": "2026-08-31T19:14:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Kushner states regret over World Cup sell-off plan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/kushner-states-regret-over-world-cup-sell-off-plan",
        "published": "2026-09-01T00:02:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Kushner blames soccer power struggle for World Cup plan collapse",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/kushner-blames-soccer-power-struggle-for-world-cup-plan-collapse",
        "published": "2026-09-01T03:47:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}