Carney Joins Criticism of FIFA Leader Infantino After World Cup Sell-Off Plan Collapse

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated Wednesday that he has lost confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino's ability to lead world soccer's governing body. This declaration follows the collapse of Infantino's controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

Speaking at an event in Toronto, Carney described Infantino's decision to keep the sell-off plan secret from senior FIFA staff as a "fatal" error. "The idea that proper governance is not to disclose to your closest advisers, your chief operating officer, your fellow board members, something of consequence that you’re even considering, let alone proposing, that’s fatal, should be fatal and you lose confidence in that individual," Carney said. He added that FIFA has its own procedures for determining leadership, but his personal confidence in Infantino is gone.

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The idea that proper governance is not to disclose to your closest advisers, your chief operating officer, your fellow board members, something of consequence that you’re even considering, let alone proposing, that’s fatal, should be fatal and you lose confidence in that individual.

Carney's comments align with growing international pressure on Infantino. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham also criticized Infantino's leadership this week, stating, "I do not believe that he is the right man to lead football forward on the world stage." Burnham found the proposed plan "offensive to many people, football people, around the world."

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I do not believe that he is the right man to lead football forward on the world stage.

Further eroding Infantino's support, European soccer's governing body UEFA announced it had lost confidence in FIFA's leadership, potentially opening the door for a challenge to Infantino's presidency. CONCACAF, representing North, Central American, and Caribbean soccer, stated that FIFA's leadership had "stopped putting football first."

Infantino was forced to abandon his plans after UEFA's 55 member nations threatened to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions. CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also opposed the proposal. The plan involved selling profits from the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary that would manage top competitions.

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stopped putting football first.