U.S. Soccer to Weigh FIFA Presidency After FFE Collapse
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- JT Batson said U.S. Soccer will discuss the FIFA presidency at its September board meeting, declining to confirm whether the federation currently backs Gianni Infantino or a potential challenger like Concacaf president Victor Montagliani.
- FIFA's proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) would have bundled the men's and women's World Cups and Club World Cups into a subsidiary selling roughly 20% to private investors, with Thrive Eternal — run by venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner — as the lead investor.
- The FFE proposal was scrapped within days after vocal opposition from UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC, and U.S. Soccer publicly backed Concacaf's statement rejecting it.
- Concacaf escalated by calling FIFA's leadership into question, with president Victor Montagliani reportedly mulling a March challenge against Infantino, who currently runs unopposed with around 200 of FIFA's 211 member associations on his side.
- Infantino has seen support from Qatar and Morocco in recent days but lost backing from Wales and England, with candidates having until November to announce bids for the March election.
- Mauricio Pochettino extended his contract as U.S. men's national team coach through the 2030 World Cup, taking on a wide-ranging advisory role centered on youth pathways alongside women's coach Emma Hayes and FIFA's chief of global football development Arsene Wenger.
- Batson confirmed Pochettino's new deal includes "protections for both sides" if either party wants to exit early, describing the provisions as "material" without elaborating on terms.
Why it matters: U.S. Soccer is now part of a widening bloc questioning Infantino's leadership after the FFE privatization push collapsed within days, and its September board discussion will shape whether a major federation lends legitimacy to a potential challenge. With Infantino's previously unopposed bid weakened by Wales and England rescinding support and Montagliani weighing a run, the March election's outcome is materially less assured than it was a week ago.
