United States President Donald Trump has publicly addressed Gianni Infantino’s controversial proposal to create a new commercial entity for FIFA competitions, breaking his silence after days of mounting speculation over his administration’s perceived links to the plan.Trump’s remarks came before FIFA formally withdrew the proposal on Saturday following widespread opposition from football’s governing bodies and stakeholders.
The FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal and Global backlash
The controversy centred on FIFA’s proposal to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a subsidiary that would manage the commercial rights to the World Cup and other FIFA competitions. The governing body intended to invite minority, non-controlling outside investment by selling a 20% stake in the new company, with US-based investment firm Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, identified as the prospective lead investor. The Kushner connection, combined with Trump’s well-documented cordial relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, fuelled speculation about the White House’s broader interest in the proposal, although there has been no evidence that Trump or his administration played any role in the deal.Nevertheless, the proposal immediately sparked criticism across world football. UEFA unanimously threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, should the plan proceed, while Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also publicly rejected the proposal. FIFA also faced internal dissent, with senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigning in protest after describing the proposal as a “bad deal for football”.
Trump responds to questions at Camp David
Against that backdrop, Trump was asked whether he had discussed the proposal with Infantino during a cabinet meeting at Camp David.The US President gave a brief response, saying he had never spoken to the FIFA president about the proposal.“No, I never spoke to him,” Trump told reporters when questioned about the matter.His comments were notable given the scrutiny surrounding the proposed involvement of Thrive Capital and Trump’s well-documented relationship with Infantino.The pair have appeared together on several occasions in recent years. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Infantino presented Trump with FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize, while Trump later publicly revealed he had contacted the FIFA president during the tournament regarding the appeal process following the suspension of United States defender Florian Balogun. Reports had also linked Trump’s name to discussions over Infantino’s future international profile, further fuelling interest in his position on the proposal.Despite that relationship, Trump offered no view on the merits of the investment plan itself, limiting his comments to stating that he had not discussed the matter with Infantino.
FIFA performs U-turn and scraps plan
Since Trump’s remarks, however, FIFA has performed a significant U-turn.On Saturday, the governing body confirmed it would not proceed with the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal after an extensive consultation process. In its statement, FIFA said the project had originally been designed to “further strengthen our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed”, but acknowledged that discussions had revealed “deep divisions across the football community”.FIFA added that, while the initiative had been intended to move forward only with broad backing, it had become clear that the level of opposition meant the project was no longer viable. As a result, the governing body said it would not continue with the plan, stating: “Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.“Instead, FIFA said it would now focus on “bringing all interested parties back together” in the coming weeks and months, with the aim of restoring unity and continuing to develop football globally “particularly in those countries that most need our support”.Also read: Gianni Infantino drops FIFA World Cup private equity plan after global backlash
What happens next for Infantino
The decision brought an end to one of the most turbulent weeks of Gianni Infantino’s presidency.What began as a proposal to attract private investment into FIFA’s commercial operations quickly evolved into a global governance dispute, prompting fierce opposition from multiple confederations, threats of a European boycott of future FIFA competitions, criticism from national associations and senior figures within FIFA itself.While the proposal has now been shelved, the episode has intensified scrutiny of Infantino’s leadership ahead of the 2027 FIFA presidential election, with questions continuing to surround both FIFA’s governance and the direction of the organisation after one of the biggest reversals of the current administration.
