Jared Kushner's $4.2 billion FIFA investment plan meets UEFA opposition

Jared Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners is seeking a multibillion‑dollar stake in FIFA’s commercial operations. The proposal, outlined by Politico, would separate the soccer governing body’s media rights, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing from its governing functions and raise up to $4.2 billion from sovereign‑wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other sources. FIFA’s 211 member associations would need to vote on the plan, but UEFA – which represents Europe’s 55 national associations – has publicly rejected the idea, warning that football’s “soul and governance are not assets to trade” and citing a lack of transparency about who would profit.

The scheme is linked to former President Donald Trump, who maintains a close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and is viewed by critics as another effort by the Trump family to enrich themselves during the former president’s second term. Congressional scrutiny of Affinity Partners’ foreign fundraising adds further political pressure to the venture.