Pressure Mounts on Infantino as Adviser Quits Over World Cup Investment Plan

Pressure is mounting on FIFA President Gianni Infantino over his proposal to sell stakes in the commercial operations of the FIFA World Cup, with his senior adviser resigning over the plan and opposition spreading across global football.

Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance, resigned on Friday, describing the proposal as “a bad deal” that would undermine the long-term future of the sport.

“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,” wrote Cordeiro, a former president of the United States Soccer Federation.

The resignation came as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham intensified criticism of the proposal, saying Infantino is “the wrong man” to lead FIFA for allowing such a plan to be considered.

Burnham described the proposal as “an outrageous suggestion,” arguing that the mere fact it had reached the discussion stage raised serious questions about FIFA’s leadership.

“The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, he is the wrong man to lead the organisation,” Burnham told BBC Sport.

Opposition to the proposal has also widened within football's governing bodies. On Friday, the Asian Football Confederation joined UEFA and CONCACAF in rejecting the plan, warning that selling a stake in the World Cup's commercial business could undermine the competition's integrity and universal appeal.

“The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of global football and derives its strength from the participation of all confederations and the world’s leading football nations,” the AFC said in a statement, adding that any proposal that threatens the tournament's unity should be reconsidered.

The combined opposition of UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC represents 136 of FIFA’s 211 member associations—more than enough to block the proposal if their members vote along confederation lines.

Infantino has indicated that approval would require a simple majority of FIFA's member associations, or at least 106 votes.

The proposal has sparked one of the strongest internal backlashes against the FIFA president in recent years, with critics arguing that bringing private investors into the commercial operations of the World Cup could prioritise financial returns over the long-term interests of the global game.