LONDON: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on August 2 that Gianni Infantino was not the right person to lead FIFA following the collapse of a proposed World Cup investment scheme.
Burnham said the plan had offended football stakeholders worldwide. He also argued that the sport could not simply disregard the controversy, according to the Associated Press.
Infantino withdrew the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal on July 31. He said the project had created divisions that no longer served its intended purpose, according to an official FIFA statement.
The proposal would have placed FIFA’s commercial rights and tournament operations in a subsidiary while offering ownership interests to private investors.
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UEFA’s 55 national associations unanimously rejected the plan. They had threatened to withdraw their national teams from FIFA competitions until the governing body abandoned it.
After the withdrawal, UEFA said FIFA’s current leadership had lost its confidence. It announced a wider governance review and said: “No option should be off the table.”
Concacaf also demanded greater accountability, while the Asian Football Confederation expressed solidarity with UEFA and Concacaf over their governance concerns.
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Infantino announced in May that he would seek re-election. FIFA will elect its president in Rabat, Morocco, on March 18, 2027. Candidates must enter the contest by November 18, 2026.
