Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that he no longer has confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino. This comes after Infantino’s abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup sparked a global backlash.
Governance Failure
Carney said Infantino committed a “fatal” governance failure by not consulting senior advisers, including FIFA’s chief operating officer and board members. “It should be fatal,” Carney said. “Certainly I don’t have confidence in Mr. Infantino.”
Canada co-hosted the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Mexico. Carney appeared alongside Infantino at several tournament events. Carney’s comments came days after Infantino abandoned the proposal following fierce opposition from the Union of European Football Associations, national soccer federations, and senior FIFA advisers.
Opposition to the Plan
Infantino had proposed creating a $20 billion company to run the World Cup with private investors, including the Kushner family. However, this plan drew significant backlash. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham last Sunday called Infantino “the wrong man to lead” world soccer.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. UEFA’s 55 member associations had agreed to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if the plan moved forward. The Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football and the Asian Football Confederation also opposed it.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
