Donald Trump speaks out on Gianni Infantino World Cup plans after boycott threat | Football | Sport
US President Donald Trump has stated that he did not have any discussions with FIFA President Gianni Infantino about the controversial plans to sell shares in the federation’s tournaments.
The proposals would see FIFA sell stakes in its major competitions to private investors, which would impact the men’s and women’s World Cups, as well as the Club World Cup.
The plans have been met with widespread criticism across football, with UEFA and the FA issuing statements speaking out against the controversial scheme.
UEFA went as far as to say that all of their member associations were in agreement that they would boycott FIFA competitions as long as the proposals remain a possibility.
Infantino and Trump have formed a close relationship over the years, with the US President in attendance alongside the FIFA President for the finals of the Club World Cup and World Cup over the last 12 months.
Trump was speaking to reporters at a press conference at Camp David on Friday, where he was asked about the recent plans from FIFA, and if he had spoken to Infantino about them before they became public.
“No, I never spoke to him,” Trump said in response.
The FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), as the proposal has been called, is expected to have Thrive Eternal as the investor group for the plans, which has Joshua Kushner, the brother of President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at the helm.
It’s not just UEFA to have publicly disagreed with the plans, with CONCACAF, the North American soccer body, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also issuing statements rejecting the proposals.
In another blow to Infantino, the FIFA president’s senior advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, has quit his role with the organisation in response to the plans put forward over the last few days.
“As a senior adviser to the FIFA president, a former banker, and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro said in a statement to Sky News.
“Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally. It is a bad deal for FIFA’s member associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game.”
