Two senior FIFA officials have criticized a proposal by President Gianni Infantino to sell stakes in the organization’s commercial operations, with one official resigning in protest on Friday, July 31, 2026, according to sportstar.thehindu.com.
Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker and former U.S. Soccer Federation president, resigned as a presidential adviser to Infantino. Cordeiro, who represented FIFA on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, stated he opposes the plan unequivocally and called the proposal a bad deal for football
.
FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour also criticized the plan, telling The Associated Press and Bloomberg Terminal that staff were deceived
by Infantino’s lack of openness. Lamour, a long-time colleague of Infantino at both FIFA and UEFA, described the initiative as the project of one person
and stated that staff deserve better than contempt and intimidation. While Lamour did not resign his post, which he has held since 2024, he said the project must not go ahead.
The Privatization Proposal
Infantino has proposed the creation of a USD 20 billion commercial subsidiary that would include the World Cups and Club World Cups for both men and women. Under the plan, 20 percent of this subsidiary would be owned by private investors. FIFA has described the anchor investor as a New York-based investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Jared Kushner.
Cordeiro argued that selling a permanent stake to raise USD 4.2 billion makes little sense
because FIFA has no debt and possesses billions of dollars in reserves. He noted that the men’s World Cup that recently concluded contributed to FIFA revenue of USD 15 billion over the last four years.
Presidential Outlook
Gianni Infantino has served as FIFA president for more than 10 years. While he previously appeared likely to be reelected unopposed in March, FIFA has established a deadline of Nov. 18 for any challengers to come forward.
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