The walls are closing in on Gianni Infantino. FIFA’s president spent years consolidating power over global football’s governing body, but his latest move, selling stakes in a new private company tied to the World Cup’s commercial rights, has triggered a rebellion that now includes people inside his own organization.
Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to FIFA, resigned from his position on July 31, 2026, after five years in the role. His reason was blunt: the proposed stake sale would be detrimental to FIFA’s Member Associations and the long-term future of the sport.
Burnham lights the match, Cordeiro pours the gasoline
Cordeiro’s resignation didn’t happen in a vacuum. It came at the tail end of a bruising few days that started with Andy Burnham, the UK Prime Minister, publicly questioning Infantino’s fitness to lead FIFA.
Between July 28 and July 31, Burnham delivered a series of sharp criticisms that left little room for diplomatic interpretation. He called Infantino “the wrong man to lead the organization” and labeled the private investment proposal as “outrageous.”
