FIFA operations director says body was misled on World Cup broadcast rights plan

GENEVA — FIFA Operations Director Kevin Lamour has said the organization was misled over a plan to sell part of its 2026 World Cup commercial operations, calling for the proposal not to go ahead. The remarks come days after Carlos Cordeiro, a former U.S. Soccer Federation president and an adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, resigned in protest of the project. The initiative, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, would consolidate broadcast rights and tournament operations under a newly created entity and sell minority, non-controlling stakes to private investors. FIFA has estimated the new entity's value at roughly $20 billion, with the minority share sale projected to raise up to $4.2 billion. The organization has said the proceeds would allow it to raise annual funding for each member federation from $8 million to $20 million during the 2027–2030 cycle. Cordeiro said he had no involvement in the project and rejected it outright, describing the proposed deal as a bad agreement for member federations, for football and for the future of the game. CONCACAF and UEFA have also opposed the plan, while the Asian Football Confederation has expressed solidarity with that position.