“This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” UEFA said in a statement. “UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every national football association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments, and everyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”

Infantino has spent nearly a decade consolidating support among FIFA’s 211 member associations through expanded development funding and greater financial distributions. Under the latest plans reported by The Times, each federation would receive an ownership stake under the proposed investment structure, potentially worth around $20 million, creating another financial incentive for members to support the plan.

Joshua Kushner’s belief that global sports properties are durable assets in an increasingly AI-driven economy has helped shape discussions with Infantino, whom Kushner has known for years, according to the person familiar with the firm’s thinking. The proposal would consolidate FIFA’s media rights, sponsorships, ticketing, hospitality, licensing and other commercial operations into a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, while leaving FIFA’s nonprofit governing structure intact. FIFA plans to name an interim leader for FIFA Forward Enterprise, which will be governed by a board of directors.Infantino has recorded a video message outlining the proposal and making the case for the new commercial structure, which will be sent to the 211 national member association that will vote on the proposal. If the plan were approved, participation in FIFA Forward Enterprise would be voluntary, with each federation that chooses to join receiving a $20 million stake in the new new subsidiary.

Over the weekend, Infantino published an unusually combative 15-slide Instagram post accusing critics of “spreading hate and false rumors” while FIFA was “delivering the best show in the world” — a striking departure for a president whose social media accounts typically feature celebratory images with world leaders, football stars and trophy ceremonies.

Infantino has already drawn opposition from European parliamentarians, who have alleged that he violated the football federation’s own political neutrality rules through his relationship with Trump.

“The World Cup belongs to the federations, the fans, the athletes, and the communities that view soccer as a social and cultural heritage — not to investment funds,” said Carolina Morace, a retired Italian soccer star who now serves as a member of European Parliament. “Sport cannot be governed by the logic of the financial markets. Merit, not business, must be at the heart of sport."Interest from U.S. politicians in the internal workings of FIFA has been rare. In 2015, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing “examining the governance and integrity of international soccer” after several FIFA officials, including Infantino’s predecessor as president, were indicted by the U.S. Justice Department on corruption charges. No one from FIFA testified at the hearing, which had bipartisan interest from committee members.

In the run-up to this year’s World Cup, political attitudes towards the sports body polarized on partisan lines, with Democrats emerging as critics of the reluctance of FIFA’s leadership to push back on Trump administration policies that could affect the tournament. Most prominent Democrats quieted their criticism during the World Cup, but some have picked up again since its conclusion on July 19.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have since launched an investigation into FIFA’s relationship with Trump and its ticketing policy, but without a majority have few legal tools to secure records or interviews with key officials.