A major storm within global football governance has intensified following controversy over plans to sell commercial stakes in major international tournaments.
FIFA Senior Advisor Carlos Cordeiro has officially resigned from his post, citing strong opposition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s push to sell shares in the World Cup.
In response to the proposed privatization, all 55 member nations of European football’s governing body, UEFA, convened an emergency meeting on Thursday and reached a unanimous consensus.
European associations, including England, declared that they will boycott all FIFA-organized competitions if the global body proceeds with plans to sell equity in flagship events like the World Cup to private equity investors.
The boycott would extend across all major events, including the Men’s World Cup, Women’s World Cup, and Club World Cup, raising the prospect of a widespread strike that could jeopardize future tournaments.
The standoff comes on the heels of the recently concluded 2026 World Cup across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Commercial revenues for the tournament reached unprecedented heights.
FIFA projected that the event generated a record total revenue of $15 billion while contributing $40.9 billion to global GDP.
Despite these historic financial results, FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently introduced a radical commercial strategy. FIFA plans to establish a new commercial subsidiary named FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would oversee operations for core flagship tournaments, including the World Cup.
The initiative aims to introduce private equity, seeking to raise up to $4.2 billion in outside investment.
Reports indicate that the investment group is led by Joshua Kushner, brother of former U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, with additional proposals including a renewed push to hold the World Cup every two years.
