FIFA COO Kevin Lamour and senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro have publicly criticized President Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell a stake in the organization's commercial business.

FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour has publicly accused President Gianni Infantino of deceiving staff regarding a plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private equity funds. In a statement to The Associated Press on Friday, Lamour argued the project should not proceed and criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the proposal.

Opposition from senior leadership

Lamour, who has served as COO since 2024, stated that the plan is the project of one person and suggested that football leaders must reevaluate their direction. He noted that he is prepared to lose his position for speaking out, stating that staff deserve better than intimidation. Lamour previously worked with Infantino at UEFA and was part of his 2016 presidential campaign team.

Resignation of Carlos Cordeiro

The criticism follows the resignation of senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker and US Soccer Federation president. Cordeiro stated he was not included in the proposal discussions and opposes the plan to sell a stake in a $20bn commercial subsidiary. He described the deal as a poor move for football, noting that FIFA currently holds significant reserves and no debt.

Details of the proposed deal

Infantino’s proposal involves spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses, including men’s and women’s World Cups, into a $20bn subsidiary. The plan includes selling a 20 percent stake to private investors, with Joshua Kushner identified as the anchor investor. Cordeiro argued that selling a permanent stake to raise $4.2bn is unnecessary given FIFA's recent $15bn revenue over the last four years.