LONDON, United Kingdom — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated on Friday, July 31, 2026, that Gianni Infantino is the wrong person to lead FIFA following a proposal to sell stakes in the governing body’s competitions to private investors.
Golden Info reports that Burnham criticised the investment plan, describing it as an outrageous suggestion. Quoted by BBC Sport, Burnham said, “The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, he is the wrong man to lead the organisation.”
The comments followed an announcement from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) rejecting the proposal. The AFC joined UEFA and CONCACAF in opposing the plan. In a released statement, the AFC said, “The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of global football and derives its strength from the participation of all Confederations and the world’s leading football nations. Any proposal that risks undermining the unity and universal character of the competition must be reconsidered.”
Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser on global strategy and governance for FIFA, resigned over the proposal. Cordeiro stated the plan was “a bad deal for football” and warned that it would “mortgage football’s future.”
The combined opposition of UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC represents 136 of FIFA’s 211 member associations. Infantino had indicated the proposal would require a simple majority of 106 votes to be approved by the member associations.