Gianni Infantino’s ambitious plans for the World Cup
Gianni Infantino is reportedly devising an ambitious plan to carve up the World Cup for private investment, reports BritPanorama.
The FIFA president’s scheme would establish a new entity to govern the organisation’s premier tournaments across both the men’s and women’s game, encompassing the World Cup and Club World Cup. This proposal has already been put before figures with ties to the Trump administration, lending the venture a distinctly transatlantic dimension.
Senior FIFA officials and prospective stakeholders have reportedly been party to discussions about the venture. One well-placed football figure characterised the plan as a “nuclear bomb” for the sport. Infantino, who is set to remain FIFA president until 2031 without any challengers, could stand to benefit enormously from the arrangement.
Under the proposed structure, FIFA would retain a controlling interest in the new company, while private investors would acquire a stake of between 20 and 30 per cent. Each of FIFA’s 211 member associations would be granted a modest shareholding, collectively amounting to roughly 20 per cent. Crucially, these national federations would have the freedom to hold or dispose of their shares, a mechanism likely intended to secure backing from the FIFA congress and council.
Joshua Kushner, brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared, has been identified as a prospective investor alongside banking giant JP Morgan. FIFA’s projected revenue for the 2022–26 cycle stands at approximately $15 billion.
UEFA responded with a forceful rebuke, declaring: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association.” The condemnation from European football’s most powerful institution represents a significant obstacle to Infantino’s ambitions.
Should the venture materialise, Infantino himself would be among its principal beneficiaries. Upon concluding his FIFA presidency in 2031, he would reportedly be positioned to assume the role of commissioner or chief executive of the newly formed company, potentially commanding remuneration on par with that of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, whose annual earnings are understood to be around $64 million—approximately ten times Infantino’s current salary of about $6 million.
Beyond personal enrichment, the scheme has prompted wider anxieties about the sport’s direction. Private investors could exert pressure to stage the men’s World Cup in territories offering the greatest commercial returns or push for tournaments to be held more frequently than the traditional four-year cycle.
As a new chapter in football’s governance looms, the potential implications for how the sport is run and perceived are profound, sparking debate about the very nature of its integrity.
