European soccer’s elite have turned up the heat on FIFA president Gianni Infantino, demanding sweeping governance reforms after his ill‑fated attempt to sell World Cup stakes.
The Premier League, La Liga and Serie A issued a joint statement condemning the proposal, arguing that expanding the tournament to 64 teams would cement a pattern of unilateral decisions that ignore stakeholder input.
UEFA stopped short of an outright rejection but warned that it would consider a boycott of the World Cup if Infantino moves forward with funneling FIFA’s revenues through the newly created FIFA Forward Enterprise.
A growing rift within world football
The threat reflects a broader loss of confidence in FIFA’s leadership, a sentiment that has been amplified by recent resignations and public accusations of deception from within the organization.
Top officials, including former technical director Arsène Wenger and deputy Gianni Grafström, have publicly distanced themselves from the commercial scheme, underscoring deepening fissures.
The tension came to a head during a crisis meeting in Rabat, Morocco, where delegates anticipated that Infantino’s bid for a fourth term in the March election would face stiff opposition.