FIFA is facing its most serious governance crisis in years after three of football’s six confederations threatened to boycott its tournaments over plans to sell a stake in the World Cup’s commercial operations to private investors.
Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, resigned Thursday in protest. He called the proposal “a bad deal for FIFA’s member associations, football, and the game’s long-term future.” Cordeiro, a former investment banker, said he had no involvement in the plan and opposed it “unequivocally.”
UEFA leads boycott threat over commercial stake sale
UEFA, representing 55 European nations, announced Thursday its member associations would refuse to participate in any FIFA tournament—including the 2026 and 2030 World Cups—unless the plan was withdrawn. CONCACAF, covering North and Central America and the Caribbean, and the Asian Football Confederation, representing 47 nations, quickly joined the opposition. Together, the groups account for 143 of FIFA’s 211 member associations.
UEFA’s position was described as “unanimous and unequivocal.” The organization stated no European national teams would compete in FIFA events “for so long as these proposals remain alive,” demanding “binding assurances” that FIFA would never again consider private ownership of its competitions. CONCACAF rejected the proposal outright, while the AFC called for an “urgent review” of FIFA’s governance.
Related: Man City host Birmingham in WSL opener
FIFA responded early Friday, insisting “nobody is selling football.” The governing body acknowledged the backlash but said it would proceed with a consultation period, arguing each member association should have the chance to vote on the proposal. The plan, it claimed, was designed to give associations “meaningful ownership” of football’s commercial opportunities in their countries without compromising FIFA’s governance.
The explanation failed to ease concerns. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a former Labour sports minister, called Infantino “the wrong man” to lead FIFA. “The idea that it could even be brought forward shows he is the wrong man to lead the organization,” Burnham told journalists.
Consultation process under scrutiny
The proposed venture, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), would create a commercial entity to manage World Cup revenues, with a minority stake potentially sold to private investors. FIFA suggested the arrangement could generate significant returns for member associations, but critics warned it risked prioritizing profit over the sport’s integrity.
FIFA framed the consultation as a democratic process, but the timing—amid widespread condemnation—has raised skepticism. The governing body said its planned consultation was disrupted by “incorrect media reports” and vowed to proceed to ensure each member association could express its vote based on facts.
Related: UCLA Pursues Top 2028 Basketball Recruit
The AFC’s statement demanded “transparent governance, timely consultation, informed deliberation and genuine participation” in FIFA’s decision-making. It stopped short of calling for Infantino’s resignation but implied his leadership had failed to meet basic accountability standards.
Infantino remained defiant. He dismissed media reports as inaccurate and accused journalists of disrupting the consultation process. Analysts said his refusal to engage with critics had only worsened the crisis. Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol called the situation “the biggest crisis Infantino has faced,” one entirely of his own making.
“He’s in a hole and needs to stop digging,” Solhekol said. “He needs to start reading the room. His power is starting to slip away.”
Solhekol suggested Infantino’s best chance of survival might be to abandon the plan and keep a low profile. Yet no signs of that have emerged. Instead, FIFA has doubled down on the consultation, leaving the sport’s future uncertain.
Related: James Brown gets expert analysis
The standoff continues. UEFA’s boycott threat remains in place, and with three confederations opposed, Infantino may struggle to secure the support needed to advance the plan. The coming weeks will determine whether FIFA can resolve the dispute or if the crisis will force a broader reckoning over the organization’s direction.
Football’s governing body has faced similar challenges before, but this confrontation carries higher stakes. The proposed commercial changes could reshape how the sport operates globally, affecting leagues, players, and fans alike. While some associations see financial opportunity, others view the plan as a threat to the game’s core values.
The outcome will depend on whether Infantino can regain trust or if the backlash will force a change at the top.