Overview
- On Saturday Gianni Infantino announced he had cancelled the proposal to create a new company to sell World Cup commercial rights after intense criticism.
- The plan would have set up a vehicle called FIFA Forward Enterprise to package and sell tournament rights to outside investors, a list that reports named Joshua Kushner among potential backers.
- UEFA and many European national associations threatened a unanimous boycott of FIFA tournaments and publicly condemned the opaque handling of the deal, while the KNVB and CONCACAF said they had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
- The naming of Joshua Kushner, who is related by marriage to President Donald Trump, heightened political and conflict‑of‑interest concerns and widened scrutiny beyond football stakeholders.
- With Infantino’s term up for renewal next year, opponents are exploring options to force an extraordinary congress by securing 43 member votes for a no‑confidence motion, which could reshape how FIFA manages revenue and support for national associations.