Gianni Infantino’s FIFA Presidency in Doubt, Senior Adviser Quits Over World Cup Storm

72 hours of complete and utter chaos could cost Infantino a job he’d looked certain to remain in.

Gianni Infantino’s powerplay looks to have massively backfired. | Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images/Getty Images

Gianni Infantino’s position as FIFA president is becoming increasingly uncertain after his senior adviser quit his post amid plans to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

Infantino and FIFA stunningly doubled down on their controversial position after UEFA confirmed its 55 member countries would boycott future tournaments unless the idea was scrapped, insisting in a hastily published statement that “nobody is selling football.”

Concacaf has also rejected FIFA’s plans, citing “deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal,” while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), who represent 47 countries, publicly stated its opposition on Friday, urging “FIFA to undertake an urgent review of its governance.”

Infantino’s remarkable power play, intended to create a new $20 billion company that would farm off shares to venture capitalists that include Joshua Kushner, brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared, appears to have spectacularly backfired—so much so that his senior aide, Carlos Cordeiro, quit his post on Friday morning while taking aim at Infantino.

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Infantino’s Plans Torn to Shreds

Carlos Cordeiro (left) helped Infantino organize this summer’s World Cup. | Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg/Getty Images

“As a senior adviser to the FIFA president, a former banker and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup.

“Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally. It is a bad deal for FIFA’s Member Associations, a bad deal for football and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game.

A statement to Sky News continued: “Football has been central to my life, and after more than 35 years in banking, I understand both the value of this asset and the consequences of giving part of it away. That is why this proposal should be rejected.

“FIFA already has access to extraordinary financial resources. The organization sits on billions of dollars in reserves and no debt. The FIFA President himself has highlighted the $15 billion in revenue generated between 2022 and 2026.

“If Member Associations believe additional investment is needed to develop the game, FIFA already has the financial capacity to provide that support from its existing resources. Against that backdrop, selling a permanent stake in football’s most valuable asset to raise $4.2 billion makes little sense. It is mortgaging football’s future without any compelling justification.

Gianni Infantino may have shot himself in the foot. | Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

“Such economic success was not accidental. It was delivered by experienced football professionals who shattered FIFA’s commercial records. Yet despite those achievements, FIFA is now being asked to believe that outside investors are needed to unlock greater value. I do not accept that proposition. The people who built this success have already demonstrated that FIFA possesses the expertise to continue growing both the game and its commercial future.

“Most troubling of all is the absence of answers to fundamental questions. Why this deal? Why now? What oversight exists? Who benefits? Was there a competitive process? What governance will be in place? What will investors ultimately gain, and at what cost to football?

“This proposal has become a defining question for FIFA’s future. After careful consideration, I can no longer continue in my role as Senior Advisor to the FIFA President. I have therefore resigned with immediate effect.”

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Failure Staring Infantino in the Face

La Liga president Javier Tebas (left) has already scolded Infantino in public. | Irina R. Hipolito/Europa Press/Getty Images [Tebas], Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi/Getty Images [Infantino]

For Infantino’s plans to come to fruition, the Swiss administrator would need the support and backing of over 50% (106) of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations (MAs). UEFA make up 55 of those members, Concacaf 41 and the AFC 47—a total of 143.

Given all three have spoken vociferously against Infantino’s plans, the idea of selling stakes in the World Cup looks to be on its last legs. The calamitous way in which Infantino’s plan has unravelled—and the hurried, panicked response statements— has of course raised concerns about the viability of Infantino continuing in his role at FIFA’s president—one he’d looked extremely safe and assured in amid an expectation that he would not be challenged when standing for re-election in 2027.

“The fact that the situation has reached the point where the real possibility of a FIFA World Cup boycott has entered public discourse should concern everyone who cares about the future of our game. Football should never have been placed in such a position,” the AFC said in a statement, adding that “fundamental weaknesses” had been “exposed” in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making process.

Sky News report that support for Infantino is severely dwindling, with many feeling his position as president is now untenable. Many stakeholders are reported to have lost confidence in Infantino’s ability to lead—a sentiment that was outlined in the emergency meeting held by Concacaf on Thursday.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has already branded Infantino as “pathetic” after his initial post on social media about FIFA’s plans, stating in no uncertain terms his belief that a change of leadership is required as FIFA is “rotten at its core.”

“In my opinion, yes, I think [Infantino’s] time is up,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “However, he has the support of the system, of the federations, so there’s not much more to add, is there? There’s no opposition candidate; nobody wants to stand just to lose. This is the system, and it’s a system rotten at its core. He shouldn’t stay, but the current state of affairs means he won’t leave.

“These past few days here in America, I’ve heard many people who are against Infantino, who disagree with what he’s doing. They say it, but then they do nothing. I don’t know what’s worse, the silence or the complicity, because those who stay silent are perfectly aware of the damage football is suffering.”

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