Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, has resigned in protest over the World Cup sell-off plans. The move comes as UEFA's 55 member nations have already voted unanimously to boycott all FIFA tournaments if Infantino's proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup goes ahead.
FIFA hit back on Friday, accusing the media of 'disrupting' the consultation process and insisting 'nobody is selling football'. However, Cordeiro has accused Infantino of acting irresponsibly and has stated that he cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup.
In a statement released on Friday, Cordeiro said: 'Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally. 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.'
Cordeiro, a former president of the United States Soccer Federation and a former advisor to the White House Task Force for this summer's World Cup, emphasized that FIFA already has access to extraordinary financial resources. The organization sits on billions of dollars in reserves and no debt, and has generated $15 billion in revenue between 2022 and 2026.
Cordeiro also criticized the absence of answers to fundamental questions surrounding the proposal, including why the deal is being made, what oversight exists, and who benefits. He concluded that the proposal should be rejected due to its potential impact on the future of football.
The World Cup sell-off plan aims to increase revenue from future World Cup and Club World Cup tournaments by setting up a new company called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). However, the plan has been met with opposition due to concerns over private investors having a say in decisions related to the World Cup, which could impact players and supporters.
Cordeiro's resignation highlights the growing divide within FIFA over the World Cup sell-off plan, and has sparked calls for the organization to prioritize the interests of football over commercial gains.
