- Infantino’s Senior Adviser Resigns as FIFA’s World Cup Stake Sale Crisis Deepens
The controversy surrounding FIFA’s proposed sale of a minority stake in its commercial operations has claimed another high-profile casualty, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigning amid growing global opposition to the plan.
Cordeiro stepped down from his advisory role on Friday, marking the latest setback for FIFA as resistance to its proposed World Cup commercial restructuring continues to gather momentum across world football.
His resignation comes just days after UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) all rejected FIFA’s proposal to sell a stake in a newly created commercial entity that would manage the business operations of the FIFA World Cup and other major tournaments.
According to reports, Cordeiro opposed the proposal, describing it as “a bad deal for football” that would ultimately “mortgage football’s future.”
His departure is widely viewed as another indication of the growing unease within football’s leadership over one of the most contentious governance proposals in FIFA’s modern history.
Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveiled plans to establish a new commercial subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would oversee the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup, Club World Cup and other FIFA competitions.
Under the proposal, FIFA would retain control over football governance while selling a minority stake in the new company to private investors. The governing body hopes the deal could generate billions of dollars in fresh investment, which it says would be used to significantly expand development funding for its 211 member associations.
FIFA has maintained that the World Cup itself is not being sold and insists that sporting decisions—including tournament formats, qualification systems and the international calendar—would remain entirely under FIFA’s authority.
Despite those assurances, the proposal has been met with fierce resistance from across the football world.
UEFA has already announced that its 55 member associations unanimously rejected the proposal and warned they would boycott FIFA competitions if the governing body proceeds with plans to introduce private ownership into its flagship tournaments.
CONCACAF, representing 41 member associations from North America, Central America and the Caribbean, has also formally rejected the proposal, citing concerns over transparency, governance and the lack of meaningful consultation.
The Asian Football Confederation joined the criticism earlier this week, describing FIFA’s handling of the proposal as unacceptable and calling for more time to properly assess its long-term implications.
The resignation of one of Infantino’s closest advisers is likely to intensify pressure on FIFA as it attempts to build support ahead of a vote by its member associations.
Adding to the debate is the identity of the proposed investor group expected to lead the transaction.
Reports indicate that the consortium is led by Thrive Capital founder Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Although Joshua Kushner’s investment activities are separate from his brother’s political affiliations, the connection has attracted significant public attention, particularly given Infantino’s increasingly close relationship with Trump in recent years.
The proposed commercial partnership has therefore become as much a governance issue as a financial one, with critics questioning whether football’s biggest tournament should be opened to private investment at all.
Cordeiro’s resignation represents more than the departure of a senior adviser. It reflects the widening divisions over FIFA’s vision for the future of the global game.
Supporters of the proposal argue that unlocking new commercial investment will provide unprecedented resources to develop football worldwide, particularly in smaller nations that depend heavily on FIFA funding.
Opponents, however, believe the World Cup is a global sporting institution whose value extends far beyond financial returns, warning that introducing private investors could fundamentally alter the principles on which the competition has been built.
