Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 6

UEFA Keeps No-Confidence Threat Against Infantino as FIFA Aborts $40 Million World Cup Stake Plan

Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 6

UEFA Keeps No-Confidence Threat Against Infantino as FIFA Aborts $40 Million World Cup Stake Plan

Q: Who were the secret investors ready to buy a massive stake in FIFA's biggest tournaments before the deal collapsed?

The investor group was expected to be led by Joshua Kushner through Thrive Eternal, a vehicle tied to his firm Thrive Capital. FIFA itself said Thrive Eternal was the likely “anchor investor” in the proposed deal. Reporting also said JPMorgan was working with FIFA to structure the plan and help identify other outside investors, but the broader investor group was never publicly disclosed in full. That secrecy is one of the main reasons UEFA and other confederations demanded answers about who was involved and how the process had been run. So, the only investor clearly identified before the plan collapsed was Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Eternal. Any additional backers remained undisclosed.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 6

UEFA said FIFA’s defense of Gianni Infantino “changes nothing,” keeping open the possibility of a boycott of competitions including the World Cup despite his apology over the scrapped investment plan.
The rift centers on FIFA Forward Enterprise, which had offered each association $40 million to back selling private stakes in tournaments including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
UEFA said its conditions were unmet: the proposals were withdrawn, but FIFA gave no assurance such plans would never return and no direct accountability for Infantino followed.
England’s FA has withdrawn support for Infantino, but UEFA still appears short of the numbers to force action—19 of 36 council votes for an emergency meeting or 106 of 211 members for no confidence.
With Infantino still expected to seek re-election in March, UEFA may have to choose between finding a unity challenger and testing its boycott threat at the Women’s U20 World Cup in Poland on Sept. 5.