FIFA’s $20 Billion Project, Kushner: If We Had Understood Football Politics, We Would Not Have Got Involved

Josh Kushner, chief executive of Thrive Capital, has publicly commented for the first time on the failure of FIFA’s initiative for a deal worth $20 billion. The project envisaged outside investors acquiring a share of the commercial rights to the World Cup.

Speaking to the New York Post, Kushner acknowledged that during the talks, his company had failed to understand the political dynamics that characterize global football.

The project, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), aimed to secure up to $4.2 billion from Thrive Capital and other outside investors.

Although it was initially presented as a significant financial opportunity for international football, FIFA’s proposal faced strong opposition from influential figures in the sport, raising questions about its future.

The strongest reactions came particularly from Europe. Last month, UEFA members unanimously approved a boycott of the World Cup as a form of protest against the proposed deal.

According to Kushner, Thrive Capital joined the negotiations believing that the project could produce positive results, but the company had not anticipated the political conflict that would subsequently emerge.

“Although we shared FFE’s motivations, we did not understand the political dynamics of global football or how far certain individuals would go,” Kushner said.

He also stressed that Thrive Capital has long worked with various parties. Kushner acknowledged that the company would not have taken part in the negotiations if it had known in advance the direction events would take.

“Thrive has a long history of working with all stakeholders. If we had known the direction in which the situation would evolve, we would not have been involved,” Kushner admitted.