Is football AI-proof? Why tech investors wanted a slice of the World Cup
Fifa has been forced to abandon plans to sell a minority stake in the World Cup to a group of tech investors after facing fierce opposition. The investors, led by Joshua Kushner's Thrive Eternal, saw an opportunity to invest in the sport due to its cultural and traditional aspects that cannot be replicated by technology. The proposal's failure has raised questions about the governance of football and the role of private equity investment in the sport.
- ▪Fifa's plan to sell a minority stake in the World Cup to tech investors has been abandoned due to opposition.
- ▪The investors, led by Thrive Eternal, believed that football's cultural and traditional aspects would protect it from being upended by AI.
- ▪The proposal would have given each Fifa member association a stake worth up to $91m, with the equity controlled by Fifa, not investors.
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| Original publisher | BBC News — Tech |
| Canonical URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7l4e3v238o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss |
| Publication time | Sat, 08 Aug 2026 12:36:29 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-08-08T12:40:42.849Z |
| Last seen | 2026-08-08T12:40:42.849Z |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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| Cluster | ZCtpJk2VuLZa · 1 stories |
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Is football AI-proof? Why tech investors wanted a slice of the World CupImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Joshua Kushner runs the investment group behind the plan to buy a minority stake in the World CupByMichael RaceBusiness reporter, Reporting fromNew YorkPublished4 minutes agoFifa has been forced to U-turn on plans to sell off a slice of the World Cup after fierce opposition, with threats of future boycotts and calls for the governing body's president, Gianni Infantino, to quit.But why were a group of tech investors interested in the World Cup in the first place, and are similar proposals in the future inevitable? In a world in which AI could upend human recreation and pastimes, executives at Thrive Eternal, a spin-off of venture capital firm Thrive Capital, saw an opportunity…
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