Carlos Cordeiro, senior advisor to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has resigned with immediate effect, citing strong opposition to proposals to sell a stake in the World Cup and other major events to private investors.
In a strongly worded statement, Cordeiro described the plan as “a bad deal for FIFA’s member associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game.” The former Goldman Sachs banker and ex-president of the US Soccer Federation emphasised that he had no involvement in developing the proposal and could not support it.
FIFA senior advisor to Infantino, Carlos Cordeiro resigns in protest over World Cup stake sale plan
The controversial initiative involves creating a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE), to manage rights for the World Cup, Club World Cup and other competitions. FIFA aims to sell up to a 20% minority stake to external investors, potentially raising around $4.2 billion (£3.1 billion), with reports linking a lead investor group to Joshua Kushner.
Cordeiro argued that FIFA already holds substantial reserves with no debt and generated significant revenue in the current cycle, making the permanent sale of a stake in football’s flagship asset unnecessary. “It is mortgaging football’s future without any compelling justification,” he said.
The move has intensified pressure on Infantino, with UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) voicing strong opposition and, in some cases, threatening boycotts. Cordeiro, who represented FIFA on the White House Task Force for the 2026 World Cup, had served as Infantino’s advisor since 2021. His departure marks a significant crack in the president’s inner circle over the future direction of the organisation.
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