Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has stepped down in protest against FIFA's controversial plan to sell a stake in the World Cup. His resignation highlights growing opposition from football’s major confederations and stakeholders.

Cordeiro, appointed in 2021 to help shape FIFA’s future, condemned the proposal as "a bad deal for football" and accused FIFA of "mortgaging football's future without any compelling justification." A former banker and ex-vice president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, Cordeiro stated he was not involved in the plan and opposed it unequivocally.

Confederations Unite Against FIFA's Proposal

The plan involves creating a $20 billion subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would manage the World Cup and other FIFA events, offering up to a 20% stake to outside investors. Thrive Eternal, managed by Thrive Capital founded by Joshua Kushner, was named as a potential lead investor.

UEFA has been at the forefront of the backlash, accusing FIFA of putting football’s "soul" up for sale. Its 55 member associations voted unanimously to boycott FIFA tournaments if the plan proceeds. UEFA’s stance is echoed by CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), both of which have expressed strong opposition, though neither has issued a boycott threat.

FIFA Defends Democratic Process

FIFA has dismissed some media reports as inaccurate and emphasized that the proposal will be subject to a democratic vote by all 211 member associations. The organization insists no decision will be made without majority support and highlighted a $40 million incentive per member association if they approve the plan by September 19.

FIFA’s statement reaffirmed that the proposal aims to provide unprecedented development funding, global ownership of commercial rights, and self-determination for member associations.

Diverging Views Among Members

While UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC collectively represent a majority of FIFA’s membership, some individual associations remain undecided. The Czech Football Association sees potential benefits in FIFA’s intentions, and Mexico’s federation plans further review before taking a position.

Voicing concern over prioritizing private interests, former World Cup winner and Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso emphasized the need to protect the game for its fans and the broader football community.