Lead

FIFA's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, said staff were deceived by president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits, and suggested the project must not go ahead. In a statement to the Associated Press, Lamour defended his colleagues amid intense fallout from the proposal, which would spin off FIFA's commercial businesses into a $20 billion subsidiary with private investors.

Coverage comparison

The story, as reported by ABC Australia and Al Jazeera, centers on statements made by Lamour and Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino's senior adviser, who resigned in opposition to the plan. Both outlets highlighted Lamour's characterization of staff treatment and his call for football leaders to reconsider the project. The coverage also focused on Cordeiro's resignation and his assertion that the plan was a "bad deal for football." The reports noted that the plan is backed by a New York investment fund created by Joshua Kushner, though this detail appears in a single source each. The financial scale of the proposal — a $20 billion subsidiary — was consistently reported.

Key claims

  • Staff deception and opposition: Both ABC Australia and Al Jazeera reported that Lamour said staff were "deceived" by Infantino's lack of openness in planning the sale over recent months, and that they "deserve better than contempt and intimidation." Lamour, a long-time colleague of Infantino at FIFA and UEFA, wrote that "it is the project of one person" and that "not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions." Lamour did not resign his post, which he has held since 2024, but said he had a duty to his colleagues.
  • Cordeiro's resignation: Both outlets reported that Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker who represented FIFA on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, resigned and urged other senior staff to speak out. Cordeiro said he was not included in talks about the plan and stated, "Let me be clear. I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally." He called the $20 billion commercial subsidiary "a bad deal for football."
  • Investment plan details: ABC Australia reported that Joshua Kushner is leading the charge to make a private investment in FIFA through the proposed subsidiary. Both outlets reported that FIFA has proposed spinning off its commercial businesses into a $20 billion subsidiary, with ABC adding that 20% would be owned by private investors.
  • Financial context: ABC Australia noted that FIFA already has access to extraordinary financial resources, with billions of dollars in reserves and no debt, and reported that FIFA's revenue over the last four years tied to the men's World Cup was $15 billion.

Perspectives

  • Kevin Lamour (FIFA COO): Lamour defended his colleagues, asserted they were deceived and subjected to "contempt and intimidation," and suggested the project must not go ahead. He framed the plan as "the project of one person" and called for football political leaders to make the right decisions.
  • Carlos Cordeiro (former FIFA senior adviser): Cordeiro resigned in opposition, stating he had no involvement in the proposal and opposing it "unequivocally." He called the $20 billion commercial subsidiary "a bad deal for football."