U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson indicated Tuesday that he welcomes forthcoming discussions about the direction of FIFA leadership. His comments came as FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces heightened scrutiny following the rapid collapse of a controversial privatization proposal.
FIFA had introduced FIFA Forward Enterprise last week, a plan to bundle the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups under a private subsidiary with around 20% sold to private investors. The lead investor was Thrive Eternal, backed by venture capitalist Joshua Kushner. The proposal was withdrawn within days after vocal opposition from UEFA, Concacaf, and the AFC. U.S. Soccer publicly aligned itself with Concacaf’s rejection of the plan.
Following Infantino’s decision to scrap the initiative, Concacaf questioned FIFA’s leadership structure. Reports indicate Concacaf President Victor Montagliani may challenge Infantino in an election scheduled for March. While Infantino currently runs unopposed with support from approximately 200 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, candidates have until November to announce their candidacy. Recent days have seen Wales and England withdraw their backing for Infantino, though Qatar and Morocco have reaffirmed their support.
Batson declined to specify whether U.S. Soccer will endorse Infantino or a challenger but confirmed that the federation’s board will address the matter during a September meeting. He emphasized that discussions will focus on identifying the best leadership direction for global soccer and creating sustainable growth opportunities worldwide. Batson framed the upcoming conversations as centered on establishing appropriate priorities for the FIFA presidency.
During the same appearance in New York, Batson also discussed U.S. men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s recent contract extension through the 2030 World Cup. Pochettino and his staff will assume advisory roles focused on youth development pathways. Batson highlighted the alignment between the coaching staff and organizational philosophy regarding long-term competitive success, noting that achieving World Cup victories requires coordinated efforts across multiple levels of the sport.
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