FIFA President Gianni Infantino is seeking support from the Trump administration to shore up his position as pressure mounts over his failed attempt to sell the governing body’s commercial business to Josh Kushner’s private equity firm, the New York Post (NYP) has learnt.
The newspaper reported that Infantino has arranged private talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on August 3, with two sources familiar with the matter confirming the FIFA chief is scheduled to speak with America’s top diplomat shortly after 9 a.m. ET.
“He wanted to get online with the secretary and talk about how soccer can be a form of soft power for America,” said one insider briefed on the matter. “But we all know that it is about job protection. It is not about anything else at this point.”
The New York Post previously revealed that Infantino’s plan to separate FIFA’s broadcasting, sponsorship, licensing and ticketing rights into a new commercial venture had unravelled following widespread opposition from football federations around the world.
The controversy has triggered growing internal resistance to Infantino’s leadership at the Zurich-based organisation, with one FIFA executive telling the newspaper that officials are pushing to remove him through an effort dubbed “Project Kill The Monster.”
The abandoned proposal envisioned the creation of a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to oversee the organisation’s commercial operations.
Under the plan, Thrive Capital — the private equity firm led by Josh Kushner, the younger brother of President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — would have acquired a 20% stake in the new venture for slightly more than $4 billion.
The proposal drew sharp criticism from football officials worldwide, many of whom said they first learned of it through media reports.
UEFA, the governing body of the sport in Europe, unanimously voted on July 30 to boycott all FIFA-organized competitions, including the 2030 men’s World Cup, which is scheduled to be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
By Jeyhun Aghazada
