Kushner on Infantino and the World Cup sale: “If I had known where it would end, I would not have got involved”

Josh Kushner says he would never have entered the World Cup investment discussions if he had known how far the controversy would go. The American billionaire investor became one of the central figures in a plan linked to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to sell a 20% stake in the tournament to private investors.

The proposal sparked strong reactions and put FIFA in a difficult position. The organization was forced to address the issue publicly in an effort to contain the criticism and limit the damage to its credibility. Kushner was presented as a potential investor, but the deal ultimately did not go ahead.

Speaking to Axios, Kushner discussed his communication with Infantino and his role in the talks. He said the original idea behind the initiative differed from the way it came to be portrayed in the public debate. The goal, he said, was to direct more money toward countries with fewer financial resources and strengthen football associations outside the sport’s wealthiest powers.

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The money in football has historically been concentrated in a small number of countries. The idea behind FFE was to distribute more capital and equity equally across all 211 member countries, providing substantially greater investment in less-developed countries so they could develop local talent, support grassroots football, improve the fan experience and, ultimately, grow the game everywhere.

“The money in football has historically been concentrated in a small number of countries. The idea behind FFE was to distribute more capital and equity equally across all 211 member countries, providing substantially greater investment in less-developed countries so they could develop local talent, support grassroots football, improve the fan experience and, ultimately, grow the game everywhere,” Kushner said.

He added that the proposal would have required a vote by every member association, rather than representing an obligation or a decision already taken. “Although we support FFE’s goals, we failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football and how far some people would go. Thrive has a long history as a partner to all sides. If we had known where this would end, we would not have got involved,” he said.

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Although we support FFE’s goals, we failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football and how far some people would go. Thrive has a long history as a partner to all sides. If we had known where this would end, we would not have got involved.