FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, has resigned with immediate effect in protest over proposals to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup, describing the plan as “a bad deal for football.”
The resignation marks a fresh setback for Infantino as he faces mounting opposition to his proposal to sell ownership stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
Cordeiro, a former president of U.S. Soccer and former vice chairman of Goldman Sachs, announced his resignation on Friday, saying he could not support a proposal to sell ownership interests in football’s flagship tournament to private investors.
“As a senior adviser to the FIFA president, a former banker, and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro said in a statement.
“Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally. It is 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.”
His resignation adds to the mounting pressure on Infantino, whose proposal to privatise stakes in FIFA competitions has drawn strong opposition from football’s governing bodies.
Yesterday, UEFA threatened to boycott the World Cup and all FIFA competitions if the proposal is approved.
“UEFA and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors,” the European governing body said.
The backlash widened on Friday as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) joined UEFA and Concacaf in opposing the proposal, saying confidence in FIFA’s governance had been “undermined.”
The AFC said it “stands in solidarity” with UEFA and Concacaf, warning that Infantino’s proposal lacked the broad consensus needed to move forward.
“The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of global football… any proposal that risks undermining the unity and universal character of the competition must be reconsidered,” it said.
FIFA, however, insisted that “nobody is selling football” and said consultations would continue ahead of a vote scheduled for September 19, 2026.
With major football confederations lining up against the proposal and one of Infantino’s closest advisers stepping down, the FIFA president faces growing uncertainty over both the plan and his leadership.