Carlos Cordeiro quit the White House World Cup task force over FIFA's stake plan.
Why it matters: The dispute could complicate governance around the 2026 World Cup and how its commercial rights are financed. It also adds public pressure on FIFA as it considers bringing in private investors.
- Carlos Cordeiro, a former U.S. Soccer Federation president and FIFA adviser, resigned from the White House Task Force for the World Cup.
- Cordeiro said he had no role in the proposal and opposed it 'unequivocally.'
- AP reported FIFA's plan would move commercial businesses, including World Cups and Club World Cups, into a new $20 billion subsidiary and sell 20% to private investors.
- Reuters reported July 28 that FIFA was weighing a minority stake sale in a new commercial entity valued at about $20 billion, with JPMorgan bankers involved.
Carlos Cordeiro said he was stepping down from the White House Task Force for the World Cup because he could not support FIFA's effort to sell part of its World Cup business. In a statement reported by AP on July 31, he said, 'I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup.' He added, 'Let me be clear. I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally.'
Cordeiro previously led the U.S. Soccer Federation. He described the idea as 'a bad deal for football,' but AP reported that the proposal itself comes from FIFA president Gianni Infantino's camp, not from Cordeiro.
According to AP, FIFA would move commercial businesses tied to men's and women's World Cups and Club World Cups into a new subsidiary valued at about $20 billion. AP said 20% of that entity could be sold to private investors.
Reuters reported on July 28 that FIFA was exploring a sale of a significant minority stake in a new commercial entity valued at about $20 billion. Reuters also said JPMorgan bankers were involved in the process. The report did not say the deal was final.
The pushback has been broader than Cordeiro's resignation. AP reported that UEFA and its national associations rejected FIFA's proposal to transfer ownership interests in World Cup and other FIFA competition rights to private investors. North America's soccer body, the Concacaf, also opposed it, AP said.
The fight matters because the structure of any new commercial vehicle could shape who controls revenue tied to the 2026 World Cup and how that money is raised. It also could affect how much influence private investors would have over rights that sit at the center of FIFA's tournament business.
By the numbers
- $20 billion - Estimated value of the new FIFA commercial subsidiary described by AP and Reuters.
- 20% - Share of the entity AP said FIFA could sell to private investors.
Yes, but: FIFA has not publicly confirmed a final transaction, and the reporting describes a proposal or exploration, not a completed deal.
What's next: FIFA has not announced a final decision on the stake sale. The White House task force remains part of the broader 2026 World Cup planning effort.