FIFA deadline set for its $20M offer
Soccer notes
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GENEVA -- FIFA President Gianni Infantino set a Sept. 19 deadline on Wednesday for the 211 member federations to accept one-off $20 million offers as part of a project to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
The $20 billion FIFA subsidiary was blasted by international soccer organizations. European soccer body UEFA aims to call its 55 member federations to an emergency online meeting, likely on Thursday. The organization said "there is significant and growing opposition to FIFA's scheme."
The effort is being bankrolled by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
The effort marks Infantino's latest effort to align with those in the orbit of Trump: by creating the FIFA peace prize, letting Trump intervene in a process that led to United States forward Folarin Balogun playing at the World Cup, and now trying to lock in Joshua Kushner's investment firm to a 12-year ownership deal with the Switzerland-based not-for-profit soccer body.
Infantino set out the "singular and unique funding opportunity" in a letter detailing why he wants to create the $20 billion FIFA subsidiary -- 20% owned by private investors -- that would run the soccer body's competitions and events like World Cups and Club World Cups.
"It is my duty and responsibility as FIFA president to present such game-changing opportunities to you, our members," Infantino wrote in the letter seen by The Associated Press.
The effort elevates the status of Joshua Kushner, who has long been connected financially to his brother Jared.
When Joshua Kushner founded a venture capital firm rather than follow into the family's real estate business, his elder brother was an early investor and a board member.
The brothers are reportedly close, and their father, Charles Kushner, received a pardon from Trump and now serves as the U.S. Ambassador to France.
But the younger Kushner has a history of six-figure donations to Democrats and his wife, the model and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, attended last month's opening of the Obama presidential library and told Bloomberg earlier this year she's never met Donald Trump.
The proposal revealed Tuesday and backed by Joshua Kushner's investment firm Thrive Capital was met with immediate fury from Infantino's former colleagues at UEFA, which said the World Cup "is not FIFA's to sell."
One option open to European soccer is threaten a boycott of FIFA competitions -- a tactic used in 2021 when UEFA-led opposition helped stop Infantino's plan to play the World Cup every two years instead of four.
On Wednesday, UEFA and its president Aleksander Ceferin hosted a video conference between its five member federations with the biggest soccer leagues: England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.
"President Ceferin expressed his stance against this (FIFA) project," Giovanni Malagò, the new president of Italian soccer said during the presentation of new Italy coach Roberto Mancini. "The situation is really total conflict."
Argentina charged
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- FIFA lodged disciplinary charges against two Argentina players Wednesday for striking Spain opponents moments after the World Cup final and charged Argentina's soccer federation for players showing a political banner about the Falkland Islands after beating England in the semifinals.
A list of disciplinary cases opened by FIFA against Argentina also include "discriminatory chants and gestures" by fans, alleged assault by an assistant coach after the final and "throwing of objects by spectators in relation to several matches" at the World Cup.
Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes faces three charges of assault in the post-game clashes after Spain's 1-0 win on July 19, defender Nahuel Molina faces two charges and coach Roberto Ayala one.
Molina and Thiago Almada also are charged with unsporting behavior, with the same charge leveled against Spain player Gavi.
Argentina's players carried a banner with the slogan "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" -- "The Malvinas are Argentine" -- after beating England 2-1 in the semifinals.
Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina's then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain.
British government officials urged FIFA to investigate, and the soccer body said Wednesday the formal charge was "using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature."
MLS stars prevail
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Son Heung-min scored two goals in a three-minute span in the first half off assists from Carles Gil to propel the MLS All-Stars past the LIGA MX All-Stars 4-3 in Wednesday night's Major League Soccer All-Star Game.
The Los Angeles Football Club forward celebrated both goals with his signature "camera" celebration -- mimicking holding an old-fashioned camera, framing the shot with his fingers and then pretending to snap a picture.
Chicago Fire's Philip Zinckernagel and FC Cincinnati's Evander da Silva Ferreira also scored for the MLS All-Stars in front of 35,197 at Bank of America Stadium.