Fifa president Gianni Infantino has scrapped a controversial plan to sell stakes in a World Cup company to private investors, but the climbdown has done little to quell criticism of his leadership, with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham publicly questioning whether he should remain in charge of world football's governing body.
The proposal, which would have seen private investors take stakes in a company overseeing the commercial and operational side of major tournaments including the men's and women's World Cups, sparked fierce backlash from across the sport. Three confederations rejected the plan outright, while Uefa went so far as to threaten a boycott of Fifa competitions unless the scheme was withdrawn.
Facing mounting pressure, Infantino confirmed the plan would not go ahead. "Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place," he said. "Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed." He added that he intended to bring stakeholders together to continue growing the game worldwide.
Despite the reversal, the fallout has been severe. Speaking during a visit to Dover, Burnham made clear he did not believe Infantino was fit to continue leading the organisation. "I do not believe that he is the right man to lead football forward on the world stage," the Prime Minister said.
Burnham went further, insisting the episode could not simply be brushed aside. "The plan that was put forward was offensive to many people, football people, around the world, and it can't be the case that we just move on and forget that, it wasn't acceptable," he said. "And as I say, I don't believe he's the right man to lead Fifa forward."
Uefa also issued a scathing response, welcoming the decision to abandon the plan but making clear its confidence in Fifa's current leadership had been badly shaken. The European body branded the proposal a "shabby, back room, opaque deal" and called for accountability. "We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account," Uefa said.
The organisation added that Infantino's leadership had lost the trust of many across the football world, stating that the "current Fifa leadership has not only lost Uefa's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family." Uefa has pledged to consult with its member associations and other confederations in the coming weeks to review how the situation was allowed to develop, promising a "thorough and fundamental" reflection with "no option... off the table."
The controversy has already claimed high-profile casualties within Fifa's ranks. Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour both resigned amid the fallout, with Lamour reportedly describing the initiative as "a project of one person" – a pointed remark suggesting the plan had been driven by Infantino personally rather than through broader consultation within the organisation.
The episode marks one of the most significant challenges to Infantino's authority since he took charge of Fifa, with political figures and football's own governing bodies now openly questioning his stewardship of the sport at a time when the organisation is preparing for a slate of major tournaments in the years ahead.
Based on reporting from The Independent (PA).