Carlos Cordeiro, senior adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has resigned from his position in protest against a controversial proposal to sell commercial equity in the FIFA World Cup to external investors.
The rift centers around a proposed subsidiary titled “FIFA Forward Enterprise”—valued at approximately $20 billion—designed to manage commercial rights for the World Cup and other flagship tournaments. Under the plan, FIFA would sell up to a 20% stake in the entity to private investors to raise around $4.2 billion.
Formally stepping down, Cordeiro clarified that he had no role in formulating the proposal and voiced strong opposition to the move, describing it as detrimental to global football and member associations.
Cordeiro pointed out that FIFA currently maintains billions of dollars in financial reserves with zero debt burden, making the permanent sell-off of equity in football’s most prized asset financially illogical.
FIFA’s 211 member associations are slated to vote on the proposal by September 19, with Cordeiro warning that approving the commercial venture could carry severe long-term risks for global football governance.
