European soccer’s UEFA boycotts FIFA over plan to sell World Cup stake to investors led by Joshua Kushner

Every major European national soccer team threatened Thursday to collectively boycott competitions organized by global soccer’s nonprofit governing body FIFA over plans by the federation to sell off a minority stake in the World Cup tournament to private investors. 

A source close to Joshua Kushner’s company, Thrive Capital, dismissed criticism over the firm’s involvement in the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) investment plan to CBS News on Thursday, hours before UEFA, the European soccer federation, announced its boycott.

Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law. FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s close relationship with Mr. Trump drew scrutiny throughout this summer’s World Cup, which was hosted jointly by the U.S., Mexico and Canada. 

“I think the first assumption is that Trump was involved in FFE in any capacity, which is just not accurate,” the source told CBS News on Thursday. “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. If you look at his donation record, all of the causes he has donated to are Democrat … it’s kind of unfair to assume a lot about somebody just because of what their brother does.”

“Thrive is a pretty big investment firm. Thrive now has $60 billion assets under management,” the source told CBS News when pressed about whether the Kushner family name had carried weight in getting the deal with FIFA done, adding that Joshua Kushner is “a pretty successful business person in his own right.”

The proposal, which would allow a group of private investors to purchase up to a 20% minority stake in a FIFA-controlled company that would manage the commercial side of the World Cup, including broadcast rights, sponsorships, ticketing, and licensing, has sparked global outrage in the soccer world. FIFA has confirmed that Kushner’s Thrive Eternal, a subsidiary company of Thrive Capital, would lead the proposed investor group.

UEFA declares a boycott 

UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, has slammed the FIFA proposal and on Thursday the association said all of its national members would boycott FIFA competitions unless and until it was “abandoned in its entirety.” 

“We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors,” UEFA said in a statement, calling the proposal “both irresponsible and indefensible.”

“As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership,” UEFA said.

Multiple national soccer associations have expressed their own deep concern about the lack of consultations from FIFA regarding the plan.

The U.K.’s new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, added his voice to the criticism this week. 

“Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine,” the British leader said in a social media post on Tuesday. “The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell. Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out.”

FIFA has said the new $20 billion company, called FIFA Forward Enterprise, would generate revenue that would be reinvested in the development of soccer globally. The proposal is subject to a vote by FIFA’s 211 member states in September, and FIFA has said the plan would not affect the body’s governance of soccer as an international sport.

A document shared with FIFA member states and obtained by CBS News on Thursday said the federation hoped to have all investment funds raised by the end of October, if the plan is approved. 

“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,” Infantino said in a video statement released Wednesday. 

Joshua Kushner’s involvement in the deal came to light amid ongoing political backlash in the U.S. over Infantino’s relationship with Mr. Trump.

On Tuesday, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democratic lawmaker on the House Judiciary Committee, announced that he would launch an investigation into the ties between the FIFA chief and the president. 

The investigation will focus on “mounting evidence of a potential quid pro quo with the Trump Administration and deceptive World Cup ticketing practices that gouge consumers,” according to a post on the official House Judiciary Democrats’ account on X. 

CBS News has sought comment from FIFA on the allegations made by Raskin and the House Democrats. 

During the World Cup, FIFA drew outrage when the suspension of the U.S. national team’s star striker Folarin Balogun was lifted for a crucial game against Belgium, after Mr. Trump called Infantino personally to ask for a review of the ban.