A senior adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino has resigned, marking a significant escalation in the internal and external backlash against a controversial plan to privatize aspects of the World Cup. Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker and ex-president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, stepped down after revealing he had no involvement in the project, which aims to secure $20 billion in private investment.
The proposal, which surfaced on Tuesday, involves spinning off FIFA's commercial operations into a new subsidiary, FFE, with 20% ownership held by private investors. Reports indicate the primary investor would be a New York-based firm established by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner. Cordeiro, who has frequently accompanied Infantino on official visits to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump and participated in the administration's World Cup task force, stated unequivocally that he opposes the sale of a stake in the tournament.
Opposition to the plan has grown rapidly, with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) becoming the latest body to reject the proposal. In a statement, the AFC expressed its solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF, citing serious concerns regarding the lack of due process, the artificial deadlines imposed, and the absence of oversight from relevant FIFA governance bodies. CONCACAF, which represents teams from North America, noted that the push for outside capital is particularly questionable following the most profitable World Cup in history, which was jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. That tournament, which concluded with Spain defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time at MetLife Stadium on July 19, was widely praised for its record-breaking attendance and successful venue management.
Despite the growing opposition from a majority of FIFA’s 211 member associations, the organization has attempted to defend its position. FIFA claimed early Friday that its consultation process had been hindered by inaccurate media reports, asserting that it intends to continue the process to ensure members can vote based on facts. This move followed a prior insistence from the organization that "nobody is selling football," a claim that failed to prevent Cordeiro’s resignation and his call for other senior staff members to voice their dissent regarding the direction of the governing body.
Indeed, FIFA is coming off an incredibly successful World Cup jointly hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The event saw record crowds and viewing numbers and visitors near-universally praised the venues and cities that hosted more than 100 matches over more than a month.
