Story perspectives

Infantino Seeks Trump’s Help After $4.2B Sale Collapse

8/5/2026

Summary

Infantino Seeks Trump

FIFA President Gianni Infantino asked U.S. President Donald Trump for help after his World Cup stake-sale plan collapsed.
The plan sought up to $4.2 billion by selling 20 % of an entity and promised each of FIFA’s 211 members a $20 million payout by Sept. 19.
UEFA, CONCACAF, AFC and African federations lost confidence, warned of legal action or boycott, and saw Serbia, Sweden, Wales and England withdraw support.

Summary

UEFA Issues Notice

UEFA issued a preservation notice naming 18 FIFA officials—including Grafström, Lamour and Wenger—and ordered all FFE communications retained.
Secretary-general Mattias Grafström, who emailed staff calling the week’s events a ‘sad and reproachable series’, was joined by COO Kevin Lamour, who said employees were ‘deceived’ by the plan.
The scheme’s anchor investor was Thrive Eternal, a fund created by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared is married to President Donald Trump’s daughter.

History

Historical Context

In May 2015 the U.S. Department of Justice indicted dozens of FIFA officials on racketeering and bribery charges, exposing over US$150 million in illicit payments and forcing President Sepp Blatter to announce his resignation. The scandal prompted new ethics reforms and, after Gianni Infantino took office in 2016, the recent failed stake-sale underscores lingering governance concerns.

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Infantino Seeks Trump

FIFA President Gianni Infantino asked U.S. President Donald Trump for help after his World Cup stake-sale plan collapsed.
The plan sought up to $4.2 billion by selling 20 % of an entity and promised each of FIFA’s 211 members a $20 million payout by Sept. 19.
UEFA, CONCACAF, AFC and African federations lost confidence, warned of legal action or boycott, and saw Serbia, Sweden, Wales and England withdraw support.

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