Donald Trump denies talking to Gianni Infantino over contentious World Cup plans
By Ian Parker, Press Association
United States President Donald Trump has said he did not speak to Gianni Infantino about FIFA’s hugely controversial plan to sell stakes in a new company that would operate the World Cup.
FIFA is proposing to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to manage its competitions, with the most contentious aspect of the plan being the intention to sell a 20 per cent stake to private investors.
Thrive Eternal, a company founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been earmarked as the lead investor. It has so far declined to comment on the matter.
Trump, who was hosting a cabinet meeting at the presidential retreat Camp David on Friday, was asked about whether he had discussed the matter with FIFA president Infantino.
“No, I never spoke to him,” Trump told reporters.
Infantino is now under mounting pressure as Europe’s governing body UEFA has threatened to boycott FIFA’s competitions unless the proposal is killed, while CONCACAF, which represents North America, Central America and the Caribbean, has joined the Asian Football Confederation in opposing it.
The FIFA president has already had controversial dealings with Trump.
During the World Cup, Trump said he had personally asked Infantino to “review” the red card shown to United States striker Folarin Balogun, who subsequently saw his one-match suspension for their last-16 clash against Belgium revoked in an unprecedented move at a World Cup. Last year, FIFA also awarded its inaugural Peace Prize to Trump.
