Infantino sets deadline for FIFA offer in Kushner-backed World Cup plan

FIFA’s president lobbies for latest proposal for investment in football’s governing body, which has met with criticism.FIFA President Gianni Infantino has set a September 19 deadline for the 211 member federations to accept a one-off $20m offer to each underwritten by the investment firm of Jared Kushner’s brother as part of a project to sell stakes in the World Cup.Infantino set out the “singular and unique funding opportunity” in a letter detailing why he wants to create a $20bn FIFA subsidiary that would be 20 percent owned by private investors and would run the football body’s competitions and events like World Cups and Club World Cups.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Indian Premier League’s business value skyrockets to $20bnlist 2 of 4France legend Zinedine Zidane confirmed as new national team managerlist 3 of 4World Cup: For India football, qualification is still just a distant dreamlist 4 of 4Report: Real Madrid agree terms with RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomandeend of list“It is my duty and responsibility as FIFA president to present such game-changing opportunities to you, our members,” Infantino wrote on Wednesday in the letter seen by The Associated Press news agency.The proposal, revealed on Tuesday and backed by Joshua Kushner’s investment firm Thrive Capital, was met with immediate fury by Infantino’s former colleagues at the European football body UEFA, which said the World Cup “is not FIFA’s to sell”.UEFA is expected to call its 55 member federations to an emergency online meeting, likely on Thursday.Joshua Kushner’s brother, Jared Kushner, is a son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump.FIFA’s private equity plan is the latest ambitious project proposed during Infantino’s 11-year presidency, during which he has increasingly seemed to be an executive leader acting without consulting football’s major stakeholders.Previous plans include creating a FIFA Peace Prize and trying to reorganise football’s calendar with World Cups every two years instead of four.