UEFA threatens FIFA boycott over World Cup investment plan

Europe’s national soccer teams threatened Thursday to boycott FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cup, unless the global governing body abandons a plan to sell a minority stake in the commercial side of its tournaments to private investors.

UEFA, which represents 55 national associations across Europe, said its members “unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors.” The organization called the plan “both irresponsible and indefensible” and said no UEFA national teams would take part in FIFA competitions while the proposal remains under consideration.

“Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale,” UEFA said.

The dispute centers on FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed $20 billion company that would manage the commercial rights to FIFA tournaments, including broadcast rights, sponsorships, ticketing and licensing. FIFA has said private investors could buy up to a 20% minority stake in the company, while FIFA would retain governance and decision-making authority over the sport and its competitions.

FIFA has confirmed that Thrive Eternal, a subsidiary of Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital, would lead the proposed investor group. Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law. CBS News reported that Joshua Kushner’s involvement surfaced amid political scrutiny in the United States over FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s relationship with Trump.

A source close to Thrive Capital dismissed criticism of the firm’s role in comments to CBS News. “I think the first assumption is that Trump was involved in FFE in any capacity, which is just not accurate,” the source said. “Josh himself does not have any links with the administration, he does not have any political roles, he has not donated to them, he is not involved in any capacity.”

The source added that Thrive has “$60 billion assets under management” and said Joshua Kushner is “a pretty successful business person in his own right.”

FIFA has argued the new company would raise revenue to support soccer development worldwide. In a video statement released Wednesday, Infantino said: “Too little of football’s growing commercial value reaches the parts of the game that need it most … we believe that the FFE proposal would unlock the sport’s potential in every corner of the world across men’s, women’s and youth football.”

The proposal is expected to go to FIFA’s 211 member states for a vote in September. A document shared with member states and obtained by CBS News said FIFA hoped to raise all investment funds by the end of October if the plan is approved.

UEFA challenged FIFA’s assurances that commercial investment would not affect the game. “The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure,” UEFA said. It added that decisions on calendars, formats and the sport’s future would no longer be driven by “what best serves the game” but by “what best serves shareholders.”

England’s Football Association backed UEFA’s stance, saying: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view.” Concacaf, the governing body for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, called an emergency meeting of its 41 member associations to discuss the proposal and said it was “deeply concerned by the lack of due process.”

The backlash has also drawn political attention. Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham wrote Tuesday that “Football does not belong to investors” and said, “The World Cup is not a product.” In the United States, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said he would investigate Infantino’s ties to Trump and what House Judiciary Democrats described as “mounting evidence of a potential quid pro quo with the Trump Administration and deceptive World Cup ticketing practices that gouge consumers.”