Sports
Media Expo, Backlash From Soccer Governing Bodies Force Infantino to Jettison Private World Cup Investment
By Son Tertsegha, Abuja
FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, before deeply reveling in the euphoria of its successful, unprecedented dollar haul from the 2026 world cup, has launched itself into an avoidable controversy called FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, that would have changed world cup history and financing, by allowing billions of dollars in private commercial investment in the mundial.
Following the predictable turn of dangerous signals from soccer bodies against his plans, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, caved in. He reversed himself with the statement Friday evening that:
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.”
First to spill the beans earlier this week, was the British newspaper, The Times, which exposed the secret FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, deal under which FIFA would have created a commercial rights and event operations company, 20% of which was to be sold to private investors with FIFA retaining ownership of 80%
The next pain in FIFA’s, precisely Infantino’s, neck was the prompt, fierce opposition from UEFA’s reaction, calling the proposal “irresponsible and indefensible.” It stated further that:
“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product,” stressing, “It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies,” and that “the World Cup is not for sale.”
Coming out next was North America’s soccer governing body, the 41-member Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) which rejected the plan, questioning “the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history.”
CONCACAF, however, stopped short of making a boycott threat.
Then, on Friday, the Asian Football Confederation followed without clearly rejecting the plan, only to say that it stood “in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF in expressing serious concerns over FIFA’s proposal to introduce private investment into FIFA’s flagship competitions and the decision-making process around FFE.”
Further harm came on Friday, when Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino’s senior advisers, threw in the towel, saying in a statement that he could not “stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup.”
But Infantino’s defence that “The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed,” in the morning of Friday, fell flat with Cordeiro’s resignation in the day.
Consequently, Infantino had to drop the idea in the evening of the same day.
Importantly, the FFE saga has the image of President Trump and his son-in -law’s Kushner family somewhere in the dark.
Infantino has received mounting criticism in recent months over his close relationship with Mr. Trump leading up to the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. hosted with Mexico and Canada. Last year, Infantino awarded Mr. Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
Earlier this month, during the World Cup tournament, Mr. Trump said he pressed Infantino to review the red card that was given to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun during a knockout game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under FIFA rules, the red card required that Balogun be suspended for the team’s next match against Belgium.
“All I did, I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Mr. Trump said at the time. “… If they wouldn’t allow, you know, a top player, maybe the best, maybe among the best players on the team, I think it would have had a big stain. And I related, just that, I didn’t tell him what to do, I can’t tell him what to do.”
Curiously, in an unprecedented move, FIFA overturned Balogun’s suspension one day before the Belgium match, and without a detailed explanation.
FIFA confirmed in an earlier statement that Thrive Eternal, a venture spearheaded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, was “expected to lead the proposed investor group.” Thrive Eternal is a subsidiary of Thrive Capital, an investment firm owned by Joshua Kushner.
FIFA had estimated that under the deal, the 211 member associations of FIFA would see their so-called FIFA Forward Funding rise from $8 million per four-year cycle to approximately $20 million.
On Tuesday, a source close to Thrive Capital told CBS News that criticism of the firm’s involvement was unjustified.
“I think the first assumption is that Trump was involved in FFE in any capacity, which is just not accurate,” the source told CBS News. “Josh himself does not have any links with the administration, he does not have any political roles, he has not donated to them, he is not involved in any capacity. If you look at his donation record, all of the causes he has donated to are Democrat … it’s kind of unfair to assume a lot about somebody just because of what their brother does.”
Asked by reporters during a Cabinet meeting Friday if FIFA officials or Infantino had spoken to him about Infantino’s plan, Mr. Trump responded, “No, I never spoke to him.”
Foreign
Spain’s Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Pioneers Egg-freezing and In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) for Female Soccer Players and Referees.
By Son Tertsegha, Abuja
Spain’s Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has introduced bearing the full costs for Egg-freezing and In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) for Female Soccer Players and Referees. The policy covers international players who have received at least two national team call-ups.
The programme runs through an official partnership with the Tambre fertility clinic and is secured through 2029.
Beyond egg vitrification, the agreement provides access to various family planning treatments and complements existing rules allowing players to have children nearby during training camps and tournaments.
The policy takes bearing from the advocacy efforts of star players like Alexia Putellas and Patri Guijarro who heavily campaigned for the initiative, noting that an elite athlete’s peak biological fertility years directly overlap with their peak professional playing years.
According to reports, the goal is to achieve Work-Life Balance designed to ensure that female athletes do not feel forced to choose between starting a family and pursuing a professional career at the highest level.
By Nick Ibe
Nigeria has agreed an $8.5m-a-year equipment deal that the Nigeria Football Federation says is the biggest in African football. The deal will also end its 11-year association with Nike and return to adidas.
Former NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau, who resigned along with the federation’s executive committee on Thursday, disclosed the agreement at a news conference in Abuja, saying adidas will pay the federation $4.5m annually in cash and provide another $4m worth of equipment for Nigeria’s national teams.
The NFF will also receive a 20 per cent royalty on merchandise sales, a clause that could push the value of the agreement well beyond the guaranteed $8.5m annual figure.
Gusau said the contract has already been signed, though it was originally scheduled to be announced in September. He said:
“It is about the highest kit sponsorship in Africa. No other country in Africa has that kind of sponsorship.
“Adidas will pay Nigeria $4.5 million every year in cash and then they will provide kit worth $4 million every year.”
The package becomes the largest kit-supply agreement for an African national football federation, if beating Morocco’s deal with Puma, reportedly valued at $1.7m, previously the highest publicly known figure on the continent.
Nigeria’s outgoing Nike contract signed since 2015, had become grossly inadequate for the federation’s needs argued Gusau:
“As (former) president, I cannot gift someone a jersey because we met a contract that has been running for 11 years on the same terms worth $500,000 in cash and $1 million in kit supply. $500,000 in 2015 and still $500,000 in 2026. It is like you have nothing.”
Nigeria was to first sign with Nike in April 2015 due to its earlier adidas deal being cancelled over breaches during the 2014 World Cup.
Gusau said the limitations of the Nike arrangement had proven so inadequate that the federation had resorted to buying additional kits for its teams, including Nigeria’s U-20 women’s team for the World Cup in Poland.
“We have to buy jerseys for the girls that travelled to Poland because $1 million worth of equipment cannot even service Super Eagles qualifiers for World Cup and Nations Cup as well as Super Falcons,” he said.
Due to the insufficiency, the federation began pushing Nike for improved terms in 2024 but could not reach an agreement, prompting it to solicit competing offers, with Nike retaining a contractual right to match the best proposal. Gusau added:
“Finally, they agreed that we could negotiate with others. At the end of the day we contacted adidas and other kit sponsors and we were able to secure a substantial agreement with adidas. Nike has to match whatever we were offered. They were unable to match the offer from adidas and that is why we are moving on.”
Adidas previously supplied Nigeria’s 1994 Africa Cup of Nations kits and its first World Cup appearance that same year, and again from 2004 to 2014, a period that included the Super Eagles’ 2013 Africa Cup of Nations title.
Nike’s return in 2015 produced some of Nigeria’s most recognisable kits, including the widely celebrated 2018 World Cup jersey.
Adidas has a larger retail footprint in Nigeria, with about 13 stores compared to Nike’s one, and it plans to expand to 32 stores within two years. This was another factor behind the switch.
Sports
2nd Enugu International Marathon Ends Great: State Guns for World Athletics Road Race Label for 2027 Edition
By Son Tertsegha
The 2nd edition of the Enugu international 42km elite races for men and women recorded resounding success Saturday.
Kenya’s Edwin Kipyego and Ethiopia’s Zenebe Aberu emerged winners of the men’s and women’s races respectively.
With more than 3,000 runners taking to the streets of Enugu city for the event, Enugu State Government, organisers of the event, in partnership with Nilayo Sports Management, and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) providing technical support, the future for subsequent editions looks good.
Kipyego produced a tactical performance to win the men’s race in 2:20:38, making his decisive move at the 37km mark to break away from a leading pack of four runners.
The Kenyan crossed the finish line first to claim the $15,000 prize, gold medal and title of Enugu City International Marathon champion.
Ethiopia’s Habtamu Girma finished second in 2:23:39, while compatriot Shiferaw Daltiemayu took third in 2:23:41.
The race was flagged off at 6:30am at Shoprite on Abakaliki Road by Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, with the route passing through Independence Layout, Okpara Avenue and Nike Lake Road before finishing at Mike Okpara Square.
Kipyego described the course as challenging but praised the support of spectators along the route.
“This was a tough but beautiful course. The hills tested us, but the people of Enugu carried us with their cheers. I will definitely return next year,” he said.
Nigerian runners dominated the 10km event, with Gyang James Boyi and Obadih Vivian winning the men’s and women’s races respectively.
Boyi clocked 29:59 to secure the ₦3 million first prize after making his decisive move with 3km remaining, while Vivian triumphed in 35:13.09.
Davwi Gyang and Mwantiyi Teyei finished second in the men’s and women’s races respectively, while Pam Joshua and Danjuma Agnes took third positions.
The 10km race, which was flagged off at 8:30am at Chris Tee Petrol Station on CIC Road, was designed to promote mass participation and identify emerging road-running talents.
Nilayo Sports Management chief executive officer Yetunde Olopade described the event as a world-class competition.
“Enugu has set the standard. From athlete welfare to security and crowd management, this marathon has shown that Nigeria can host international-label races,” she said.
Enugu State Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai said the marathon was in line with the state’s sports tourism ambitions, adding that the event would continue to grow.
Commissioner for Sports Lloyd Ike Ekweremadu commended the Local Organising Committee, sponsors, medical teams and security agencies for ensuring a successful event.
He also disclosed that the state had applied for World Athletics Road Race Label status for the 2027 edition.
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