Gianni Infantino’s World Cup gamble deepens as senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro quits over ‘bad deal for football’

Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to open the World Cup to private investment has suffered another major blow after his senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, describing the proposal as “a bad deal for football.”

Cordeiro, a former banker and ex-vice president of the United States Soccer Federation, stepped down this week amid growing opposition to FIFA’s plans to restructure the commercial future of the World Cup and other major competitions.

The move comes after several football confederations, including UEFA, Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, reportedly expressed strong reservations over the proposal, with some considering measures to oppose future tournaments if the plans move forward.

Cordeiro, who was appointed as one of Infantino’s senior advisers, distanced himself from the proposal and made his position clear after details of the plan emerged.

“Let me be clear: I ⁠had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally,” Cordeiro said in a statement.

“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.”

$20 billion World Cup plan sparks global resistance

The controversy centres around FIFA’s proposal to create a new commercial entity responsible for managing the World Cup and other major events.

Reports indicate that the global football body is exploring the sale of up to a 20 per cent stake in the venture to private investors, with the business reportedly valued at around $20 billion.

Infantino has argued that the move could unlock significant financial opportunities for football’s member associations, but critics fear it could give private investors excessive influence over the sport’s biggest competitions.

FIFA has maintained that the proposal is only an opportunity for investment and not a sale of football’s core assets.

In a statement released on Friday, FIFA insisted it would continue exploring the plan despite the criticism, saying “nobody is selling football.” The comment, however, triggered further backlash from supporters and football stakeholders online.

The proposal is expected to require approval from FIFA’s 211 member associations, with Infantino indicating that a simple majority would be enough for it to pass. That means at least 106 votes would be needed to move the plan forward.

Infantino faces growing scrutiny

The latest development adds to the pressure facing Infantino, who has been FIFA president for more than a decade and remains the favourite to secure another term in office next March after emerging as the only candidate so far.

Since taking over from Sepp Blatter in 2016, Infantino has overseen a period of commercial expansion at FIFA, including an expanded Club World Cup and a larger World Cup format.

However, the proposed investment strategy has created one of the strongest waves of opposition during his presidency, with critics questioning the long-term impact of allowing external investors into the organisation’s biggest revenue-generating property.

Cordeiro’s resignation has further intensified the debate, with the former U.S. Soccer executive becoming one of the highest-profile figures linked to FIFA to publicly reject the proposal.