Sepp Blatter Slams Gianni Infantino for Selling FIFA to Investors Close to Donald Trump Inner Circle

Sepp Blatter has accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of trying to 'sell our sport' by moving World Cup commercial rights into a new company and courting private investors linked to Donald Trump's inner circle, warning that their relationship has now reached a 'financial dimension' that he says is harming football.

His intervention follows FIFA's announcement that it is exploring a minority sale of commercial rights through a subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would manage broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing for tournaments including the World Cup, Women's World Cup and Club World Cup.

Reporting on the plan says between 20 per cent and 30 per cent of the new company could be sold to private‑sector investors, putting a share of future World Cup income into outside hands rather than national associations.

Blatter Targets FIFA Investor Plan

Blatter's remarks were published by French outlet Foot Mercato and carried by Goal, which quoted him as saying that no one has the right to sell football to private backers.

He said: 'The close relationship between the president of FIFA and the president of the United States has reached a financial dimension that causes serious harm to football. No one has the right to sell our sport,' in reference to the proposed investor deal.

Those comments were aimed at Infantino's project to create FIFA Forward Enterprise and bring in long‑term investors on a non‑controlling basis. According to FIFA's statement, the administration is 'exploring the concept of bringing together FIFA's commercial rights with the operational delivery of FIFA tournaments' through the new company, with a consultation process under way.

Trump‑Linked Investors Under Scrutiny

The controversy has intensified because one of the prospective investors named by FIFA is Thrive Eternal, a holding company founded by Joshua Kushner.

Kushner's brother Jared is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka and served as a senior adviser in the White House, prompting concern that the deal could benefit people close to the US president's family.

CNN and USA Today report that Thrive Eternal is part of a group in talks over a stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise, under an estimated valuation of around $20 billion (roughly £16 billion).

UEFA has publicly opposed the project, warning that 'the spirit of football and its governance are not assets for sale', and describing the plan to privatise World Cup rights as deeply troubling.

Infantino's Relationship with Trump

Blatter's intervention comes after a series of high‑profile episodes involving Infantino and Trump around the 2026 World Cup.

USA Today notes that Infantino awarded Trump a bespoke FIFA peace prize, rented office space for FIFA at Trump Tower in New York and appeared alongside the president during Spain's World Cup trophy celebration, where Trump had to be asked to move off stage.

The relationship drew further criticism when FIFA's disciplinary bodies overturned United States striker Folarin Balogun's World Cup suspension after Trump personally urged Infantino to review his red card.

European lawmaker Barry Andrews called the U‑turn 'profoundly corrupt' and warned that such interventions risk turning the tournament into scripted entertainment rather than genuine competition.

Wider Backlash Over World Cup Governance

Blatter, who led FIFA from 1998 to 2015 and left amid corruption investigations, has been banned from football and does not hold an official role.

His latest comments, however, echo concerns from UEFA and European officials that football's global governing body is bringing sport, politics and finance together in a way that may undermine its independence.

The 2026 World Cup will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, increasing scrutiny of how closely FIFA is now aligned with US political and business interests.

For critics, the proposed investor deal and the Trump–Infantino relationship raise a wider question: who controls football's biggest stage, and how far World Cup 2026 can be shaped by private and political agendas before it loses the trust of fans and national federations.