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Sell-off plan sparks revolt
FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said FIFA staff were deceived by Gianni Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan, and suggested on Friday the project must not go ahead.
“Lamour wrote that staff were “deceived” by Infantino’s lack of openness in planning the sale”
Lamour, a Zurich-based executive, said staff “deceived” by Infantino’s lack of openness in planning the sale over recent months and wrote, “It is the project of one person,” in a statement to The Associated Press.
The fallout intensified after Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned and urged other senior FIFA staff to speak out, saying, “I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup.”
Cordeiro said he was not included in talks about the plan backed by a New York investment fund created by Joshua Kushner and called the $20 billion commercial subsidiary “a bad deal for football.”
Quotes and institutional boycotts
Lamour framed his opposition as a matter of governance, telling the Associated Press that “deserve better than contempt and intimidation” after being left in the dark about Infantino’s privatisation scheme.
In the same dispute, UEFA confirmed it would boycott FIFA competitions, with DW reporting that “Member federations of UEFA agreed this Thursday (July 30, 2026) to boycott all FIFA competitions.”
DW also quoted UEFA’s position that “The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product,” as the European body moved to block participation while Infantino’s plan remained in force.
Across coverage, the Independent described Lamour as the second senior governing body official to attack Infantino, while Flashscore reported that FIFA staff were “deceived” by the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
Deadlines, money, and what’s at risk
Infantino’s proposal centers on spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses into a $20 billion subsidiary, with 20% owned by private investors, and Cordeiro said FIFA’s revenue of $15 billion over the last four years tied to the men’s World Cup just ended.
“Infantino has proposed spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses — including World Cups”
The plan also included offers of $20 million each by a Sept. 19 deadline to FIFA member federations, and DW said the emergency meeting was convened to counter Infantino’s offer that “must be accepted by mid-September.”
The Independent reported that UEFA confirmed European national teams would not play in FIFA competitions until the project is scrapped, while the Straits Times said FIFA’s strategy to raise as much as US$4.2 billion through an investment vehicle faced “more opposition” after Cordeiro’s July 31 resignation.
With FIFA setting a Nov. 18 deadline for challengers to come forward and Infantino seemingly sure to be re-elected unopposed next March, the dispute over the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan threatens to reshape FIFA’s commercial future and its relationship with the 211 member associations.
