Joshua Kushner Regrets Role in Scrapped FIFA World Cup Deal

Venture capitalist Joshua Kushner has said his firm would not have become involved in FIFA’s abandoned plan to bring private investment into a new commercial subsidiary if it had anticipated the dispute that followed. BBC Sport, Axios and the Associated Press reported his first public response to the failed proposal on Monday.

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The plan called for investors led by Kushner’s firm to provide $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in a subsidiary intended to manage FIFA’s commercial events, including the World Cup. The proposed company was known as FIFA Forward Enterprise. FIFA dropped the idea shortly after it became public in July and drew strong opposition.

Kushner said the group had failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football. He added that it would not have participated had it known how the situation would develop. At the same time, he defended the proposal’s stated purpose, saying it was designed to distribute more capital and equity among FIFA’s 211 member associations.

According to Kushner, the additional investment was intended to support grassroots football, local talent and fan development, particularly in countries receiving less funding. He also stressed that FIFA’s member associations would have voted on the proposal rather than being bound to accept it automatically.

The comments came as the abandoned project remained under scrutiny. The Associated Press reported that UEFA had sought testimony and documents from Kushner and his firm through a federal court in Manhattan. UEFA said in its filing that neither Kushner nor the firm was an anticipated defendant. The European confederation was also preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland concerning FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s handling of the plan.

Kushner’s statement does not revive the proposed transaction, which remains shelved. It instead marks the lead investor’s first public account of why his firm joined the initiative and why it now regrets doing so. The episode continues to raise questions about FIFA governance and how the commercial rights tied to its major tournaments should be controlled.