GENEVA — Two senior FIFA officials have challenged Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell a stake in the organization’s World Cup business, with Carlos Cordeiro resigning as a presidential adviser and Kevin Lamour accusing Infantino of deceiving staff about the proposal.
Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker who represented FIFA on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, stepped down in protest over the proposed private-equity deal.
Cordeiro resigns as Infantino adviser
“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro wrote in his resignation statement. He urged other senior FIFA figures to oppose the plan.
The former Soccer Federation president said he had no role in developing the proposal and opposed it “unequivocally,” describing the planned $20 billion commercial subsidiary as “a bad deal for football.”
Cordeiro, who often joined Infantino on White House visits to meet President Donald Trump, said his 35 years in banking had taught him both the value of the World Cup business and the consequences of surrendering part of it.
Lamour says FIFA staff were deceived
FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff had been “deceived” by Infantino’s lack of openness and deserved better than “contempt and intimidation.” The French official described the investment scheme as the work of one person and said it must not proceed.
Lamour, a long-time colleague of Infantino at FIFA and UEFA, called on football’s political leaders to confront the issue and make the necessary decisions. He did not resign from the position he has held since 2024, saying he had a duty to his colleagues.
“And if that means I lose my job, then so be it,” Lamour wrote. He added that he would understand and respect such a decision and would at least “sleep well tonight.”
FIFA plan values subsidiary at $20 billion
Infantino’s proposal would place FIFA’s commercial operations, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups, into a subsidiary valued at $20 billion. Private investors would own 20%.
FIFA has described a New York-based investment firm created by Joshua Kushner as the anchor investor. Joshua Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Cordeiro argued that FIFA already has billions of dollars in reserves, carries no debt and generated $15 billion in revenue during the period tied to the men’s World Cup that had just ended. Against that financial position, he said, selling a permanent stake for $4.2 billion would mortgage football’s future without a compelling reason.
Reflecting on his years working alongside Infantino, Cordeiro praised FIFA colleagues he described as dedicated and principled. He called on them to speak publicly, arguing that a decision of this scale should serve football rather than those positioned to profit from it.
Infantino has led FIFA for more than 10 years and had appeared likely to be re-elected without opposition. FIFA has set Nov. 18 as the deadline for challengers to come forward.