Why did the news of FIFA senior advisor Carlos Cordero's resignation, due to his strong opposition to President Gianni Infantino's "FIFA Forward" (FFE) initiative , cause such a stir in the world of football? British media have provided an explanation.

Carlos Cordeiro has resigned as senior advisor to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, marking another major development in the ongoing controversy surrounding the sale of World Cup-related rights.

UEFA and CONCACAF have decided that they will not participate in any FIFA-affiliated competitions as long as new projects continue to be implemented.

According to Sky Sports, Gianni Infantino's situation has worsened following Carlos Cordero's sudden resignation.

So, who exactly is Cordero? And how important is he to Infantino?

Carlos Cordero was born in Mumbai, India, and was raised by his Colombian mother and his father of Portuguese-Indian descent. Cordero moved to Miami at the age of 15 and graduated from Harvard University a few years later.

Before joining the U.S. Soccer Federation as an independent director in 2007, Cordero was a partner at Goldman Sachs and also served as an independent director at BHP.

However, a major turning point in his career came in 2018 when he became president of the U.S. Soccer Association; however, he resigned from the position in March 2020 due to huge controversy (alleged gender discrimination).

A year later, in 2021, Cordero was first appointed as Senior Advisor for Global Strategy and Governance at FIFA, and then served as Senior Advisor to the President of FIFA.

However, Cordero truly became known worldwide after he was appointed by Donald Trump as a senior advisor to the White House's "2026 World Cup Task Force".

The former U.S. Soccer Federation president told the media: "As a senior advisor to the FIFA president, a former banker, and a lifelong soccer fan, I could not stand idly by when FIFA considered selling a stake in the World Cup. Let me be clear: I was not involved in this proposal, and I am firmly opposed to it."

This is a bad deal for FIFA member associations, for football itself, and for the sport's long-term future.

The former Goldman Sachs vice chairman subsequently issued a strongly worded and detailed statement explaining his reasons for making the decision and the potential harm the proposal could cause to football.

He stated, "Football has always been central to my life. After 35 years in the banking industry, I am well aware of the value of this asset and understand the consequences of relinquishing a portion of its equity. Therefore, this proposal should be rejected."

FIFA already possesses astonishing financial resources. The organization sits on billions of dollars in reserves and has no debt. The FIFA president himself has emphasized that it will generate $15 billion in revenue between 2022 and 2026. If member associations deem additional investment necessary to develop the sport, FIFA is fully capable of providing such support using its existing resources.

In this context, selling a permanent stake in one of football's most valuable assets to raise $4.2 billion makes absolutely no sense. It's tantamount to mortgaging the future of football without any justification.

This economic success was no accident. It was created by experienced football professionals who broke FIFA's various commercial records. However, despite these achievements, some are now trying to convince FIFA that outside investors must be brought in to unlock even greater value.

I cannot accept this statement. Those who have built this success have proven that FIFA possesses the professional competence to continue driving the development of the sport and its commercial prospects.

Related reading:

[FIFA Senior Advisor Resigns: As a Fan, I Cannot Stand By and Watch FIFA Sell the World Cup]