31.7.2026
Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, resigned with immediate effect Friday in protest over plans to seek private investment in a new company that would oversee FIFA’s commercial and event operations.
Cordeiro said he could not support the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would reportedly value a new subsidiary controlling the FIFA World Cup and other competitions at about $20 billion and offer external investors a stake of up to 20%.
“As a Senior Advisor to the FIFA President, a former banker, and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro said in a statement.
“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, who spent more than 35 years in banking, questioned why FIFA would seek to raise $4.2 billion by permanently giving outside investors a share of what he described as football’s most valuable asset.
He said FIFA already has billions of dollars in reserves, no debt and generated $15 billion in revenue between 2022 and 2026.
“If Member Associations believe additional investment is needed to develop the game, FIFA already has the financial capacity to provide that support from its existing resources,” he said.
“Against that backdrop, selling a permanent stake in football’s most valuable asset to raise $4.2 billion makes little sense. It is mortgaging football’s future without any compelling justification.”
Cordeiro also questioned FIFA’s argument that private investment and outside expertise were needed to unlock additional commercial value.
He said FIFA’s recent financial success had been delivered by experienced football professionals who had already demonstrated the organization’s ability to grow the game and its commercial operations. AA reports
