Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Fifa president Gianni Infantino, has resigned after the Asian Football Confederation joined Uefa and Concacaf in opposing plans to sell minority stakes in Fifa competitions to private investors. His departure is the first resignation by a senior Fifa figure over the proposal and, together with the AFC’s stance, makes approval increasingly unlikely.

The three opposing confederations represent 136 of Fifa’s 211 member associations, exceeding the 106 votes needed for a simple majority if their members follow their governing bodies’ positions. The AFC said the plan risked undermining the World Cup’s universal character and criticised Fifa for inadequate consultation, while Cordeiro described it as a “bad deal for football” that could mortgage its future; Fifa maintains that nobody is selling football.