FIFA and UEFA Clash Over World Cup Investment Plans
In a recent legal development, FIFA has accused UEFA of conducting a “smear campaign” regarding FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposed initiative to sell stakes in the World Cup. This accusation was made in a court filing on Thursday, following UEFA’s actions to seek evidence related to the proposal in U.S. courts.
UEFA has requested the discovery of evidence in three U.S. courts in connection to Infantino’s plan. FIFA filed a motion in the U.S. District Court in Colorado to intervene, suggesting that UEFA’s legal actions were akin to “press releases” supporting a smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership.
One of the notable discovery requests by UEFA was filed in the Southern District of New York. It demands the disclosure of documents from Josh Kushner and his investment firm, Thrive Capital Management. Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Thrive was involved in the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which aimed to sell World Cup stakes to private equity for $4.2 billion. FIFA retracted the proposal on August 1, shortly after its announcement, due to significant opposition.
Additional discovery requests were made in Florida, where FIFA’s operational base for the 2026 World Cup is located, and in Colorado against Greg Maffei, a former adviser to Infantino and once the CEO of Liberty Media.
In a statement to Axios, Josh Kushner defended the motivations of the FFE proposal but admitted to underestimating the political complexities of global football. He stated, “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. Thrive has a long track record of being a partner to all constituents. Had we known what this would devolve into, we would not have gotten involved.”
Last month, Kushner also entered an agreement to purchase the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers with partner Bob Iger, as reported by AP News.
UEFA has indicated in court documents that it is preparing a criminal complaint against Infantino in Swiss courts, alleging possible financial mismanagement. Their lawyers argue that Infantino’s plan was essentially a means for him and his associates to profit from FIFA’s valuable assets, to the detriment of the organization and its stakeholders.
FIFA countered that UEFA’s discovery requests are flawed, claiming they are linked to a non-existent foreign criminal proceeding that UEFA does not have the authority to begin. Additionally, FIFA accused UEFA of pressuring European federations to oppose the proposal.
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