U.S. Soccer publicly entered the growing debate over FIFA this week, joining Canada Soccer, the Caribbean Football Union, and the Central American Football Union in calling for meaningful changes to FIFA’s governance, transparency, and accountability.
The dispute grew out of FIFA’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise, a new subsidiary that would have consolidated commercial and event operations. FIFA planned to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling minority, non-controlling stakes based on an implied $20 billion valuation.
U.S. Soccer did not directly name FIFA President Gianni Infantino or President Donald Trump in its statement. However, its call for reform stood in contrast to Trump’s subsequent public defense of Infantino amid the ongoing FIFA governance crisis.
U.S. Soccer breaks its silence
U.S. Soccer publicly addressed the FIFA governance controversy on Monday, Aug. 10, after other soccer organizations had already criticized the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise.
Its statement came hours after UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation published a joint open letter criticizing FIFA’s handling of the failed proposal. U.S. Soccer then joined Canada Soccer, CFU, and UNCAF in calling for meaningful change that strengthens FIFA’s governance, transparency, and accountability.
The statement established U.S. Soccer’s first publicly reported position on the controversy without directly naming Infantino or endorsing UEFA’s threatened boycott of FIFA competitions.
Federation aligns with regional partners
U.S. Soccer joined Canada Soccer, the Caribbean Football Union, and the Central American Football Union in a public statement calling for meaningful change at FIFA.
The four organizations specifically called for stronger governance, transparency, and accountability. Their statement did not name Infantino directly or demand his resignation.
U.S. Soccer also stopped short of joining UEFA’s threatened boycott of FIFA competitions. Its public statement focused on institutional reform rather than announcing sanctions or a competition boycott.
What sparked this global controversy
The controversy began after details emerged of FIFA’s plan to create FIFA Forward Enterprise and invite private investors to acquire minority stakes in the new subsidiary. The proposal was based on an implied valuation of $20 billion and sought to raise up to $4.2 billion.
The process angered soccer officials because some governing bodies said they first learned important details through media reports. Concacaf said it had not been consulted before details were publicly released and criticized the lack of due process.
Opposition grew rapidly among FIFA member associations and confederations. FIFA abandoned the proposal on July 31, saying the project had created divisions that were no longer compatible with its original objectives.
Interesting fact: FIFA said in July that its total revenue for the entire 2023–2026 cycle was expected to exceed $15 billion, boosted by the commercial success of the 2026 World Cup.
Concacaf demands stronger FIFA governance
Concacaf issued a formal statement on July 30 criticizing serious procedural problems surrounding the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise.
The confederation and its 41 member associations cited a lack of due process, an artificially short deadline, and the absence of review or approval by relevant FIFA governance bodies. They formally rejected the proposal and called for greater transparency and proper governance.
Concacaf also instructed its FIFA Council representatives to push for future proposals to follow FIFA’s established governance processes and to explore the use of FIFA’s existing reserves to increase development funding.
Trump publicly backs Infantino
President Donald Trump publicly defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Aug. 10, warning FIFA against replacing him and praising his leadership during the 2026 World Cup.
Trump’s intervention contrasted with U.S. Soccer’s statement earlier that day calling for meaningful changes to FIFA’s governance, transparency, and accountability. U.S. Soccer did not directly call for Infantino’s removal, so the two positions represent a contrast rather than a direct institutional confrontation.
Trump’s public statement also provided a clearer and more current indication of his position than earlier comments attributed to unnamed administration officials.
Little-known fact: The 2026 World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, was the first World Cup ever to be held across three nations.
Europe takes a harder line
UEFA has taken a more confrontational position than U.S. Soccer, threatening to boycott FIFA competitions as the dispute over governance and Infantino’s leadership continues.
The confrontation has expanded beyond the original investment proposal. UEFA, Concacaf, and the AFC jointly demanded an independent review and accused FIFA’s leadership of a serious breach of trust. FIFPRO Europe has also called for structural reform at FIFA, arguing that the organization is facing a broader confidence crisis.
As of Aug. 12, the dispute has become a wider debate over FIFA’s governance, accountability, and leadership ahead of the organization’s 2027 presidential election.
Kushner connection raises fresh questions
Thrive Eternal was expected to lead the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise investor group. The company is a permanent-capital investment vehicle launched by Joshua Kushner, founder of Thrive Capital.
Joshua Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, bringing a notable family connection to the proposed FIFA transaction.
The Times reported that people close to the Trump administration had been consulted about the plan. Trump later said he had not personally discussed the proposal with Infantino. Those two claims do not necessarily contradict each other because consultation with people close to an administration does not establish that the president himself knew about or participated in those discussions.
Why 2038 is already part of the conversation
Trump has publicly said he wants the United States to host another men’s World Cup after the success of the 2026 tournament. The next men’s World Cup currently available for a new hosting bid is the 2038 edition, with the 2030 and 2034 tournaments already assigned.
Trump has also developed a notably close public relationship with Infantino, including appearing with him during the 2026 World Cup. However, there is no established evidence that Trump’s support for Infantino in the current FIFA controversy is specifically motivated by a potential 2038 U.S. bid.
U.S. Soccer’s call for FIFA governance reform does not, by itself, establish that a future American hosting bid has been harmed or complicated. Any eventual 2038 bid would depend on FIFA’s future bidding rules, competing candidates, and decisions by soccer authorities that have yet to be made.
TL;DR
- U.S. Soccer publicly called for meaningful FIFA governance reform on Aug. 10 as President Donald Trump separately backed FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
- U.S. Soccer joined Canada Soccer, CFU, and UNCAF in calling for stronger governance, transparency, and accountability without announcing a boycott.
- FIFA had proposed selling minority stakes in FIFA Forward Enterprise to raise up to $4.2 billion based on an implied $20 billion valuation.
- Concacaf criticized a short deadline, lack of due process and the absence of review or approval by relevant FIFA governance bodies.
- FIFA withdrew the investment proposal on July 31, but the wider dispute over governance and Infantino’s leadership remains active.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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