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Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has resigned with immediate effect after opposing plans to sell a stake in the organisation’s World Cup business, describing the proposal as “a bad deal for football”.
Cordeiro, a former banker and ex-vice president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, announced his departure on Friday, saying he could not remain in his role while FIFA considered bringing external investors into what he described as the sport’s most valuable asset.
“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.”
The resignation follows FIFA’s proposal to establish a $20 billion subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would manage the World Cup and other major competitions. Under the plan, up to 20% of the new entity could be sold to outside investors, with FIFA seeking to raise about $4.2 billion.
Cordeiro questioned the need for the move, arguing that FIFA already has significant financial reserves and no debt obligations.
“Against that backdrop, selling a permanent stake in football’s most valuable asset to raise $4.2 billion makes little sense,” he said.
He also pointed to FIFA’s own financial performance, noting that Infantino had previously highlighted the organisation’s projected $15 billion revenue generation between 2022 and 2026. According to Cordeiro, those funds should allow FIFA to increase support for its 211 member associations without selling part of the World Cup’s commercial future.
FIFA member associations are expected to consider the proposal before September 19. Cordeiro warned that those who reject the plan could risk missing out on future benefits linked to the investment.
Cordeiro joined FIFA in 2021 as a strategic adviser tasked with helping the organisation develop initiatives to expand football globally. At the time, Infantino described him as the right person to support FIFA’s efforts to modernise its operations and grow the sport for men, women and youth players worldwide.
Before joining U.S. Soccer, Cordeiro held senior positions in global investment banking, including serving as vice chairman at Goldman Sachs. He also earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School and built a career advising governments and major international companies across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
