Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s position has come under further scrutiny after the governing body’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, criticised plans to sell stakes in competitions to private investors. In a statement, Lamour described the proposals as “the project of one person” and stated that “the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.” He also indicated that Fifa’s administration was “deceived” regarding the project.
The statement from Lamour did not explicitly name Infantino. This development occurred on the same day that a third confederation voiced opposition to the plans, a senior adviser to Infantino resigned, and Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that Infantino was “the wrong man” to lead Fifa. US President Donald Trump, addressing the proposals for the first time, mentioned he had not discussed the plans with Infantino.
Concerns from within and without Fifa
Lamour, who joined Fifa in November 2024 after serving as deputy general secretary at Uefa, emphasised his mission and that of other Fifa employees is to serve football. He added that a president should unite and inspire people, suggesting the current situation is the opposite. While acknowledging his duty of loyalty to his employer, Lamour also cited a duty to “certain values” and to support his colleagues, stating, “If that means I lose my job, then so be it.”
Earlier, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) expressed solidarity with its counterparts in Europe and North, Central America, and the Caribbean. The AFC indicated that Infantino’s plan would likely not achieve the necessary consensus to proceed. The confederation highlighted that the Fifa World Cup is a global event drawing strength from all confederations and leading football nations, and any proposal that risks undermining its unity should be reconsidered.
Following the AFC’s statement, Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance, resigned. Cordeiro, who had been a Fifa senior adviser for nearly five years and represented the body on the White House taskforce for the World Cup 2026, described the proposal as “a bad deal for football” that would “mortgage football’s future.” He unequivocally opposed the plans, stating that Fifa’s responsibility is to protect and strengthen football, not to maximise commercial returns at any cost.
Cordeiro stated he had no involvement in the proposal and raised fundamental questions that remained largely unanswered, such as the reasons for the deal, its timing, the oversight involved, and who benefits. He noted that member associations were being asked to make a significant decision with limited time, which he deemed not a responsible approach to determining the future of the sport.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham later called Infantino’s proposal an “outrageous suggestion,” asserting that its mere presentation indicated Infantino was not the right leader for the organisation. The collective opposition from the AFC, Uefa, and Concacaf suggests that Infantino’s plans are unlikely to gain approval if put to a vote among Fifa members.
The proposed plans and widespread opposition
Fifa and Infantino aim to establish a commercial subsidiary to manage its primary events, including its World Cups, allowing external investors to acquire minority, non-controlling stakes in this new entity, named Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). A document from JP Morgan outlines that Fifa’s tournaments would expand, with new business initiatives and incentive-driven compensation for top talent. The document describes the World Cup as the “most widely viewed” sporting event but suggests Fifa itself is “under-monetised.” The women’s game is not mentioned in the document.
If approved, Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared, is expected to lead the proposed investor group for FFE. Cordeiro highlighted that Fifa already possesses substantial financial resources, including billions in reserves and no debt, questioning the necessity of selling a stake in football’s valuable asset for financial gain.
On Thursday, Uefa voted to boycott World Cups if Fifa’s plan proceeded. Uefa and its 55 member associations unanimously rejected the proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors. They asserted that the World Cup is not an investment product and should not be surrendered to private interests, stating, “The World Cup is not for sale.”
Uefa criticised the proposal for being conceived in secret and brought close to approval without meaningful consultation, calling it a profound failure of leadership and an abdication of Fifa’s duty. They warned that if external investors acquire ownership interests, commercial return and investor expectations would dictate decisions, rather than the best interests of the game. Uefa declared that no Uefa national teams would participate in any Fifa competition as long as these proposals remain active, unless they are entirely abandoned with binding assurances against future private ownership.
Hours after Uefa’s decision, Concacaf, which hosted the World Cup this year, also released a statement rejecting Infantino’s proposals. Despite the growing opposition, Fifa released a statement on Friday vowing to continue with the plan, stating that “nobody is selling football” and claiming the consultation process had been “disrupted by incorrect media reports.”
The AFC accused Fifa of setting the “direction of travel” for a “significant initiative” without consulting stakeholders, exposing fundamental weaknesses in its consultation and decision-making processes. They called for an urgent review of Fifa’s governance framework to ensure proposals of global significance are developed through proper consultation and oversight by its statutory bodies. If all member associations align with their confederation’s stance, 136 nations would be against Infantino’s plan, given Uefa’s 55 votes, Concacaf’s 35, and Asia’s 46, out of Fifa’s 211 members.
Cordeiro, who served as a Fifa senior adviser for four years and 11 months, was appointed in September 2021.
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Source: bbc.com
