Carlos Cordeiro has resigned as a senior adviser to Fifa president Gianni Infantino in protest at the proposed sale of a stake in the World Cup. Fifa's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, separately alleged that staff had been "deceived" about the project and said it must be stopped.
In his resignation statement, Cordeiro said: "I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally." He argued that Fifa could provide additional financial support using resources it already held and questioned the oversight of the deal. Lamour has not resigned, but said he would accept losing his job for speaking out.
Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) is envisaged as a company to manage the governing body's major competitions, including the World Cup. Fifa says outside investment would be through minority stakes carrying no controlling interest. In a statement on Friday, it said consultation would continue, blamed "incorrect media reports" for disrupting the process and insisted: "Nobody is selling football."
Uefa's members agreed on Thursday to stay out of Fifa competitions while the proposal remains active. They demanded its abandonment and binding guarantees against any future opening of Fifa's governance or competitions to private ownership. Concacaf rejected the scheme but did not announce a boycott, while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) backed the opposition on Friday and sought an urgent governance review. The AFC has also stopped short of threatening a boycott.