Carlos Cordeiro, senior advisor to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and former advisor to Donald Trump, has resigned in protest against the controversial plan to sell stakes in World Cup commercial rights to private investors.
FIFA is facing mounting pressure and a wave of criticism over plans to sell stakes in a new commercial subsidiary to private investors, culminating in the resignation of a senior official and a boycott threat from UEFA. According to DW News reports, pressure on President Gianni Infantino escalated on Friday, July 31, 2026, when his senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro resigned.
Cordeiro, a 69-year-old former head of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), former Goldman Sachs partner, and also an advisor to President Donald Trump during this year's World Cup, explained his departure in stark terms. "Be clear: I had nothing to do with this proposal and I strongly oppose it," Cordeiro said, as reported by Al Mayadeen English. He 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 controversial plan involves establishing a subsidiary called "FIFA Forward Enterprise" (FFE), valued by FIFA at approximately $20 billion (€17.5 billion). FFE would manage commercial rights such as broadcasting, sponsorships, and ticket sales for FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. FIFA plans to sell a minority stake in this subsidiary, worth $4.2 billion, to a consortium of private investors.
DW News reports that the investment consortium is expected to be led by the fund "Thrive Eternal," managed by the company "Thrive Capital." Its founder is Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. Although FIFA stated in a press release on July 31: "No one is selling football. FIFA would never even consider that," Cordeiro expressed deep skepticism about the need for such a move.
"FIFA already has access to extraordinary financial resources. The organization sits on billions in reserves and has no debt. The FIFA President himself highlighted $15 billion in revenue generated in the last four-year World Cup cycle between 2022 and 2026," Cordeiro told DW News. He added that selling a permanent stake in football's most valuable asset to raise $4.2 billion makes little sense, calling it "a mortgage on the future of football without a compelling justification."
The European football federation (UEFA), which has had strained relations with FIFA and Infantino for years, has strongly opposed the plan. According to a DW News report, all 55 European football associations voted unanimously for a boycott of FIFA competitions. "No UEFA team will participate in any FIFA competition as long as these proposals are active," reads an official UEFA statement, adding that the plan must be completely abandoned and binding guarantees given that FIFA will never again open its competitions to private ownership. The potential start of the boycott could be as early as September 5, 2026, when the U-20 Women's World Cup begins.
The president of the German Football Association (DFB), Bernd Neuendorf, told ZDF, as reported by DW News: "We must not lose the support of the fans, but we are on the verge of squandering it."
Opposition has not been limited to Europe. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which has 47 member associations, expressed solidarity with UEFA and concern over the lack of transparency in FIFA's decision-making processes. CONCACAF, representing 41 North American and Caribbean federations, did the same, meaning Infantino has technically lost majority support among FIFA's 211 member associations.
Opposition also comes from the fans. Stuart Dykes, director of European and institutional affairs at Football Supporters Europe (FSE), told Reuters, as reported by Channel News Asia: "Football is not for sale. It is a social good. Its value is created by fans, players, and everyone else who contributes to that value." Dykes criticized decision-making "behind closed doors" and called for FIFA reform.
In his resignation, Cordeiro raised a series of key questions that, he claims, remain unanswered: "What is most concerning is the lack of answers to fundamental questions: Why this deal? Why now? What oversight exists? Who benefits?" The deadline for FIFA member associations to decide on the proposal is September 19, 2026.
As FIFA grapples with internal and external pressures, according to ESPN, consultations are simultaneously underway on a potential expansion of the World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 edition, with a decision deadline of August 14. Le Figaro adds that the deadline for analyzing the impact of this expansion is set for September 11, 2026. The expansion proposal was initially submitted by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), and the 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, while Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will each host one match in honor of the tournament's centenary.
