Canada's Carney Says he Has No Confidence in FIFA's Infantino

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared on Wednesday that he no longer has confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Carney's statement intensifies the growing pressure on the soccer leader, who faced a global backlash after proposing to sell stakes in the World Cup. The prime minister specifically pointed to Infantino's decision not to consult senior advisors, including FIFA's chief operating officer and board members, as a "fatal" governance failure.

"It should be fatal," Carney stated, directly expressing his lack of faith in Infantino's leadership. Canada is a co-host of the 2026 World Cup, alongside the United States and Mexico. Carney had previously appeared with Infantino at several tournament-related events, making his public criticism notable.

The controversy erupted after Infantino proposed creating a $20 billion company to manage the World Cup with private investors, including the Kushner family. The plan was met with fierce opposition from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), national soccer federations, and senior FIFA advisors. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had also recently called Infantino "the wrong man to lead" world soccer.

Infantino ultimately abandoned the proposal following the widespread criticism. However, UEFA indicated that it would continue to work with other confederations to prevent similar proposals from emerging in the future. FIFA did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Carney's statements.

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It should be fatal. Certainly I don’t have confidence in Mr. Infantino.