A senior adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino resigned on Friday in protest over plans to sell a stake in the World Cup, as European football threatened a boycott and regional confederations rallied in opposition to the controversial proposal.

Carlos Cordeiro, a former banker and ex-U.S. Soccer Federation vice president who was appointed by Infantino in 2021 to help shape FIFA's future, stepped down with immediate effect. He called the plan "a bad deal for football" and said he had no involvement in drafting the proposal, opposing it "unequivocally."

"It is a bad deal for FIFA's Member Associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game," Cordeiro said in a statement, accusing the body of "mortgaging football's future without any compelling justification."

FIFA has proposed creating a $20-billion subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run the World Cup and its other events, with a stake of up to 20% offered to external investors. The proposal would be unprecedented for a flagship global championship and comes amid a broader wave of private capital flowing into international sports, with firms such as CVC Capital Partners having previously acquired stakes in competitions across football, rugby, and other sports. Thrive Eternal, a fund run by Thrive Capital — founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law — was expected to lead the proposed investor group.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who criticized the plan when it was announced earlier in the week, told reporters on Friday that Infantino was "the wrong man to lead the organisation." Infantino faces re-election next year, with North American football chief and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani reportedly considering a challenge for the FIFA presidency.

The European football association, UEFA, has led widespread opposition to the proposal, accusing FIFA of putting the sport's "soul" up for sale. On Thursday, UEFA's 55 member nations voted unanimously to boycott all FIFA tournaments, a move that came less than two weeks after Spain were crowned World Cup champions.

FIFA's next major event, the women's Under-20 World Cup, is scheduled for September. Host nation Poland said on Friday it had received no information about any potential team withdrawals.

Despite the mounting backlash, Switzerland-based FIFA said "incorrect media reports" had disrupted its planned consultation process but pledged to continue putting the proposal before its 211 national football associations.

"We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each MA (Member Association) has the ability to express their vote based on facts," FIFA said in a statement issued during the European night.

"Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain," the statement continued. "Everyone has the right to express their opposition and to seek further clarification but no single entity can claim to represent all 211 MAs around the world. Each MA should be allowed to review the proposal and have a say in shaping their own future. These are the democratic principles of FIFA."

CONCACAF, the regional federation for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, rejected the proposal at a meeting on Thursday, though the 41-member body did not join UEFA in threatening a boycott. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with 47 members, issued a statement Friday saying it "stands in solidarity" with UEFA and CONCACAF but likewise stopped short of a boycott threat. The AFC, historically less vocal in criticizing FIFA than its European counterpart, questioned the viability of the proposal and raised doubts about FIFA's decision-making processes in what was widely seen as a veiled criticism of Infantino.

Stuart Dykes, director of European and Institutional Affairs at Football Supporters Europe, told Reuters that such decisions could not be made behind closed doors by a small group. "The national associations should be demanding proper governance, proper consultation, proper stakeholder involvement," Dykes said. "Football is not for sale. It's a social good. Its value is created by the fans and the players... That value is not for FIFA to extract in the interest of private investors."

Infantino wrote to all member associations promising each $40 million if they agreed to the proposal by September 19. FIFA said Friday it would not proceed without majority support from its members.

"These principles underpin the FFE proposal: unprecedented development funding, truly global ownership of the commercial opportunities of our sport, and full self-determination through a democratic process for all MAs," FIFA said.

UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC together represent 143 associations — well over half of FIFA's 211 members. However, not all individual nations are certain to follow their confederations' positions. Czech Football Association President David Trunda told Sky Sports he could see the "positive impact of FIFA's intentions," while the Mexican Football Federation said it would study the proposal before deciding its stance, despite CONCACAF's rejection.

As the outcry continued, Danish brewer Carlsberg, a UEFA sponsor, trolled Infantino on social media. "Time for a hydration break, Gianni? Probably," the company wrote, referencing the mandatory hydration pauses introduced at this year's World Cup that critics had called a vehicle for additional advertising slots.