Kushner states regret over World Cup sell-off plan — SkimNews
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- Joshua Kushner said Thrive Eternal "would not have gotten involved" in FIFA's Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme had it known the controversy it would trigger, conceding he "failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football," though he still defended FFE's goal of directing capital equally among FIFA's 211 member associations.
- Thrive Eternal had been set to lead a $4.2bn (£3.1bn) investment for 20% of a new FIFA commercial subsidiary before the proposal was abandoned in July amid backlash.
- UEFA has asked a New York court to approve subpoenas for testimony and documents from Kushner and Thrive as it weighs lodging a criminal complaint against Infantino in Switzerland.
- UEFA's filing also names two FIFA businesses and financier Greg Maffei, alleging Infantino "unilaterally designated Thrive Eternal" and undervalued the World Cup at roughly £15bn without independent valuation or competitive auction.
- UEFA clarified that neither Kushner nor Maffei are anticipated defendants in any proceedings.
- Kushner separately agreed a record $12.5bn (£9.3bn) deal to buy the Los Angeles Lakers.
Why it matters: UEFA is converting its rebellion against Infantino into courtroom action: a New York subpoena request and possible Swiss criminal complaint alleging Infantino 'unilaterally designated' Thrive Eternal and undervalued the World Cup at £15bn. While Kushner and Maffei are explicitly not anticipated defendants, the filings formalize the dispute beyond FIFA's internal governance channels and well ahead of Infantino's expected March re-election.
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