British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said FIFA president Gianni Infantino is “the wrong man” to run world football’s governing body, after a senior adviser to Infantino resigned and a third confederation came out against his plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors.
Burnham, who had already criticized the proposal when it first emerged, told reporters on Friday that the idea was outrageous and that its very existence showed poor judgment on Infantino’s part.
His comments came hours after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) declared it stood with counterparts in Europe and North and Central America in opposing the plan, warning it could not achieve the broad consensus needed to move forward. The AFC argued the World Cup draws its strength from the participation of all confederations, and that any proposal threatening that unity needed to be reconsidered.
Adviser resigns, plan faces uphill battle
Shortly after the AFC’s statement, Carlos Cordeiro — Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance — resigned, calling the proposal a bad deal for football that would jeopardize the sport’s future. His departure, combined with the AFC’s opposition, makes it increasingly unlikely FIFA members will approve the plan if it goes to a vote. Infantino had proposed a simple majority threshold — 106 of FIFA’s 211 members — but with UEFA (55 votes), CONCACAF (35), and now the AFC (46) all opposed, as many as 136 nations could vote against it if their member associations follow their confederations’ lead.
The AFC also accused FIFA of setting the agenda on major initiatives before properly consulting stakeholders, saying the episode exposed real weaknesses in FIFA’s decision-making processes and left confederations and even FIFA’s own governing bodies feeling sidelined. It called for an urgent review of how FIFA develops major proposals going forward.
Cordeiro’s resignation letter
Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs investment banker who had served as FIFA’s senior adviser for nearly five years and represented the organization on the White House’s 2026 World Cup taskforce, said he firmly rejected the plan and disputed the idea that FIFA needed outside investors to boost its value. He wrote that FIFA’s job is to protect the sport for future generations, not maximize commercial returns, and said basic questions about the deal’s purpose, oversight, and beneficiaries remained unanswered — despite member associations being asked to decide within roughly 50 days.
What the plan actually proposes
Infantino wants to create a commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run FIFA’s major events including the World Cup, with outside investors able to buy minority, non-controlling stakes. A 25-page document prepared by JP Morgan projects payouts to member associations could rise to an estimated €24 million each during the 2035–2039 cycle, though the document makes no mention of the women’s game. If approved, FIFA says venture capital firm Thrive Eternal — founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — is expected to lead the investor group.
Confederations split
UEFA voted Thursday to boycott future World Cups if the plan goes ahead, and CONCACAF, which hosted this year’s tournament, rejected it hours later. FIFA responded early Friday insisting “nobody is selling football,” blaming inaccurate media coverage for disrupting consultations and vowing the plan wouldn’t compromise FIFA’s governance or the spirit of the game.
UEFA has accused FIFA leadership of using the sport to enrich themselves and allies, insisting the World Cup was built over generations by players, teams, and fans and should never be handed to private investors. South America’s CONMEBOL has yet to comment publicly, while Africa’s CAF and Oceania’s OFC say they’ll discuss the plan in August.
Why some smaller nations may still back it
Despite the AFC’s opposition, it hasn’t threatened a boycott like UEFA, and its members aren’t obligated to vote against the plan. Rogers Byamukama of the Ugandan Football Federation argued that any option bringing more funding to football-dependent nations is worth exploring, noting how much of Uganda’s football infrastructure and grassroots programs rely on FIFA funding generated through World Cup revenue. He acknowledged UEFA’s right to object but pointed out its members aren’t as financially dependent on FIFA as many African federations, where Infantino remains popular.
FIFA’s Forward development programme delivered $2.8 billion across its first two cycles through 2022, and the current cycle (2023–2026) has seen funding rise by 30%, with an additional $5 million provided to each member association and $60 million to each confederation. Separately, FIFA is now seeking an independent agency to evaluate expanding the men’s World Cup from 48 to 64 teams for 2030, with a decision expected by August 14.
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