FIFA Officials Speak Out Against World Cup Plan
Kevin Lamour, FIFA‘s chief operating officer, has stated that staff were deceived regarding President Gianni Infantino‘s plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private equity funds. Lamour suggested that this project should not proceed. His comments were made in a statement to a news agency on Friday, where he defended his colleagues amidst the controversy surrounding Infantino’s proposal.
Lamour, a long-time colleague of Infantino at both FIFA and UEFA, wrote that staff were “deceived” by Infantino’s lack of transparency in planning the sale. He added that staff “deserve better than contempt and intimidation.” He characterized the initiative as “the project of one person” and urged football political leaders to reconsider the plan.
Hours before Lamour’s statement, Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser and a former Goldman Sachs banker, resigned from his position. Cordeiro, who previously represented the football body on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, encouraged other senior FIFA staff to voice their concerns. He stated, “I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup.”
Cordeiro clarified that he had no involvement in the proposal and unequivocally opposed it. He described the commercial subsidiary as “a bad deal for football.” He also noted that FIFA possesses substantial financial resources, including billions in reserves and no debt, and had significant revenue from the men’s World Cup. Cordeiro expressed that selling a permanent stake in football’s most valuable asset makes little sense, viewing it as mortgaging football’s future without compelling justification.
UEFA’s Strong Opposition to Private Ownership
UEFA and its 55 national associations have collectively rejected FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors. They assert that the World Cup should not be treated as an investment product, emphasizing its legacy built by players, national teams, and supporters across continents. UEFA believes no part of it should be surrendered to private investors, declaring, “The World Cup is not for sale.”
The European football body criticized the proposal for being conceived in secret and brought close to approval without meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game. UEFA described this as a profound failure of leadership and an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football. They also mentioned that national associations are now faced with an ultimatum: accept the capture of football’s greatest competitions or face consequences, which they termed “governance by intimidation.”
UEFA’s opposition extends beyond the process, highlighting concerns that external investors acquiring ownership interests would permanently alter football. They argue that commercial return and investor expectations would dictate decisions on the international calendar, competition formats, and the future of football, rather than what best serves the game. UEFA stated that this model has no place in world football, as football’s future cannot be dictated by those whose primary duty is to maximize financial return.
As a result of their discussions, UEFA has declared that its national teams will not participate in any FIFA competition as long as these proposals remain active. This stance will continue unless the proposal is entirely abandoned and binding assurances are given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership. UEFA affirmed its absolute determination to oppose these plans, stating that some things are too important to sell and that the FIFA World Cup belongs to football.
Infantino’s Plan and Internal Discontent
Infantino’s proposal involves spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups, into a subsidiary with 20 percent ownership by private investors. The “anchor investor” for this venture is reportedly Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Donald Trump‘s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Lamour, who has not resigned from his post, stated he has a duty to his colleagues. He indicated that he would accept losing his job over his stance, saying, “At least I’ll sleep well tonight.” Lamour joined football from politics two decades ago as an aide to then-UEFA President Michel Platini and has held international roles, liaising with FIFA member federations in Africa and Asia.
Cordeiro, who worked with Infantino for five years, expressed hope that other dedicated and principled FIFA staff would speak up. He believes decisions of this magnitude should be made in the interests of football, not for the profit of a few. Infantino has been FIFA president for over 10 years and was expected to be re-elected unopposed next March, with a November 18 deadline set for potential challengers.
Source: aljazeera.com
