A senior adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino has resigned in protest over a plan to sell World Cup profits to private-equity investors.
This resignation signals a deepening divide within the global soccer governing body. The move threatens the stability of Infantino's leadership as major continental federations align against the commercialization of the tournament's revenue streams.
Carlos Cordeiro, the departing senior adviser, resigned on Friday [1]. His exit follows mounting pressure from stakeholders who said that the proposed privatization is contrary to the core values of the sport [1], [2].
The plan involves a privatization of World Cup profits valued at roughly $20 billion [1]. This financial restructuring would shift a significant portion of the tournament's wealth into the hands of private investors, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), CONCACAF, and UEFA [2], [3].
These international bodies, alongside other stakeholders, have expressed opposition to the strategy [2], [3]. The tension highlights a struggle between the desire for immediate capital infusion and the traditional model of soccer governance.
Reports regarding the current status of the project are conflicting. Some reports indicate that FIFA cancelled the project following the widespread backlash [2]. However, other accounts suggest that FIFA is doubling down on the plan and criticizing media coverage, with no official indication that the proposal has been scrapped [1].
Infantino has not yet provided a formal response to the resignation of Cordeiro or the specific objections raised by the continental federations [1], [2].
“A senior adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino has resigned in protest over a plan to sell World Cup profits.”
The conflict reflects a broader tension in global sports between traditional non-profit governance and the trend of private-equity entry into major leagues. If FIFA pursues the $20 billion plan despite opposition from UEFA and the AFC, it risks a diplomatic crisis with the very federations that manage the sport's regional growth, potentially undermining the unified front required to run the World Cup.
