In a surprising turn of events on Friday, a senior adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced his resignation, triggered by a contentious proposal to sell stakes in future football tournaments to private investors.
Carlos Cordeiro, making his stance crystal clear through a statement on LinkedIn, distanced himself from the proposal, stating, “I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally.” He emphasized his belief that the deal would be detrimental to FIFA’s Member Associations, the sport of football, and its enduring legacy.
Discussing his concerns further, Cordeiro, who also served as a senior adviser to the White House task force for the 2026 World Cup, argued that FIFA already possesses substantial financial resources. He described the plan as reckless, asserting it would be “mortgaging football’s future without any compelling justification.”
His departure follows a critical move by UEFA’s 55 member associations, who voted on Thursday to boycott the World Cup if FIFA proceeds with the controversial proposal.
UEFA, the organization that oversees football across Europe, convened in an emergency session to make this significant decision on Thursday.
CONCACAF, the group that runs the sport in North America, Central America and parts of South America, also said it would reject the proposal after its members met Thursday afternoon.
UEFA made its opposition very clear in a statement, stating “the World Cup is not for sale.”
“As a result of today’s discussion,
The boycott would cover all FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Club.
The Women's World Cup playoffs are due to be held this October.
CONCACAF said Thursday its members had "deep concerns" about the plan.
"During the meeting, the membership expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies," a statement from the federation said. "In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned."
U.S. Soccer, which is a member of CONCACAF, said in a