Infantino’s senior adviser quits over World Cup stake sale

Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, resigned with immediate effect on Friday in protest over proposals to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors, calling the plan "a bad deal for football."reuters+1

Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ↗ 4.50% vice-chair and ex-U.S. Soccer Federation president, had served as an advisor to Infantino since 2021. He also represented FIFA on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, according to the Associated Press.sports.yahoo

A Pointed Rebuke

In a lengthy statement, Cordeiro said he had no involvement in the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal and opposed it "unequivocally."reuters

"FIFA already has access to extraordinary financial resources. The organisation sits on billions of dollars in reserves and no debt," Cordeiro wrote. "Against that backdrop, selling a permanent stake in football's most valuable asset to raise $4.2 billion makes little sense. It is mortgaging football's future without any compelling justification."flashscore+1

He raised pointed questions about the process: "Why this deal? Why now? What oversight exists? Who benefits? Was there a competitive process?"thesun

Cordeiro urged others within FIFA to speak up, saying "decisions of this magnitude should be made in the interests of football, not those who stand to profit from it."reuters+1

Growing Revolt

The resignation caps a turbulent week for Infantino's plan, first revealed on Tuesday, to create a $20 billion subsidiary and sell more than 20 percent of it by raising $4.2 billion from private investors.news.sky

UEFA voted unanimously on Thursday to boycott all FIFA competitions unless the proposal is abandoned entirely. CONCACAF joined the revolt, citing a "lack of due process," while the Asian Football Confederation said it stood in solidarity with both bodies.aljazeera+3

FIFA Pushes Back

FIFA has rejected characterizations that it is "selling off" football, accusing journalists of disrupting its consultation process. The governing body has said it intends to proceed with its plans despite the backlash, with member associations reportedly facing a decision deadline within 50 days.flashscore+1

The crisis now poses the most direct internal challenge to Infantino's leadership since he took charge of FIFA in 2016, with continental confederations representing the majority of the world's top football nations aligned against the proposal.