Gianni Infantino has faced fresh pressure after Carlos Cordeiro, a senior Fifa adviser, resigned immediately in protest at plans to sell a stake in the World Cup. Cordeiro said the proposal was a bad deal for football and questioned its transparency, arguing that Fifa’s substantial debt-free reserves mean it does not need private investment.

The dispute now involves Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, representing 143 of Fifa’s 211 member associations. The AFC said the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise company lacked the broad consensus required to proceed and called for an urgent governance review, while Fifa said it would continue consulting members; if the coalition holds, Infantino may lack the votes needed for the plan.