Pressure is mounting on FIFA president Gianni Infantino after one of his closest advisers, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned in protest over the governing body’s controversial proposal to create a new commercial subsidiary and sell a minority stake in its revenue-generating assets.
Cordeiro, a former banker who has advised Infantino since 2021, announced his immediate resignation on Friday, distancing himself from the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and warning it could damage the long-term future of world football.
His departure represents the latest setback for FIFA as opposition to the proposal continues to spread across the global game.
The FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal would see FIFA establish a commercial subsidiary responsible for broadcasting rights, sponsorship, licensing, ticketing and other commercial operations linked to its major tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup.
FIFA would retain majority ownership while selling a minority stake to private investors in a move expected to generate billions of dollars in fresh funding for football development.
Cordeiro, however, said he could not support any plan involving the sale of an ownership interest in football’s biggest competition.
“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” he said.
He also sought to distance himself from the proposal.
“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.”
Drawing on more than three decades of experience in banking, Cordeiro questioned the financial rationale behind the proposal, arguing FIFA already possesses sufficient financial strength.
“FIFA already has access to extraordinary financial resources. The organization sits on billions of dollars in reserves and no debt.”
He warned that selling part of FIFA’s commercial rights would burden future generations for limited short-term financial gain.
“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.”
Cordeiro’s resignation comes as FIFA faces growing resistance from several continental confederations over the proposed investment model.
UEFA has led the opposition, with its 55 member associations unanimously rejecting the proposal and warning they could boycott FIFA competitions if it proceeds.
CONCACAF has also rejected the initiative, citing concerns over governance and transparency, while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has publicly described the proposal as “totally unacceptable.”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is yet to announce its official position.
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Despite the backlash, FIFA has defended the proposal, insisting it is “not selling football” and that the FIFA Forward Enterprise would remain under FIFA’s permanent ownership and control.
The governing body says the new structure would unlock additional commercial revenue that would be distributed among its 211 member associations, while preserving FIFA’s governance framework.
Member associations have until September 19 to vote on whether the proposal should proceed.
