A FIFA investment plan prompted senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro to resign on Friday as the Asian Football Confederation joined UEFA and Concacaf in opposing the proposal.
Cordeiro, a former US Soccer president, said he had no involvement in the plan and opposed it unequivocally. He described it as damaging to FIFA’s members and football’s long-term future, according to Reuters.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino appointed Cordeiro as a senior adviser in 2021. His role included advising the governing body on strategic initiatives intended to expand football globally.
The AFC said the plan lacked the broad consensus required to proceed. It also warned that public discussion of a possible World Cup boycott should concern football’s stakeholders.
UEFA’s 55 member associations have pledged to boycott FIFA competitions while the proposal remains active. Concacaf’s 41 members unanimously rejected the plan over concerns about governance, transparency and the proposed timetable.
FIFA intends to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise, a subsidiary that would consolidate its commercial rights and tournament-delivery operations. Minority investors could provide up to $4.2 billion based on an implied valuation of $20 billion.
The plan would offer each of FIFA’s 211 members up to $20 million in optional one-off development funding. Their regular allocation for 2027–2030 would also rise from $8 million to $20 million.
Read: UEFA Boycott Covers All FIFA National-Team Competitions
FIFA said it would continue consulting its members and would not establish the subsidiary without majority support. It maintained that outside investors would receive no operational control over football governance or competitions.
