Infantino Faces Growing Revolt as Senior Adviser Resigns and Third Confederation Rejects Investment Plan

Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell stakes in major football competitions to private investors is facing a near‑total collapse, after a senior adviser resigned and a third continental confederation publicly opposed the plan.

Carlos Cordeiro, a long‑time adviser to Infantino, stepped down on Thursday, calling the proposal “a bad deal for football” that would “mortgage football’s future.” His resignation came just hours after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced it “stands in solidarity” with UEFA and Concacaf in rejecting the plan.

The AFC said the proposal could not “realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward,” stressing that the World Cup’s strength lies in its universal participation. “Any proposal that risks undermining the unity and universal character of the competition must be reconsidered,” the confederation added
With Asia joining Europe and North, Central America and the Caribbean in opposition, Infantino’s plan is now highly unlikely to pass if put to a vote. The Fifa president had indicated the proposal would require a simple majority 106 of 211 member associations.

But the numbers are stacked against him. UEFA controls 55 votes, Concacaf 35, and the AFC 46. If all member associations follow their confederation’s stance, 136 nations would vote against the plan far beyond the threshold needed to block it.

The growing backlash marks one of the most significant challenges to Infantino’s leadership in recent years, with global football governance now bracing for a showdown over the future of the sport’s most valuable competitions.