Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he no longer has confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino, intensifying growing international pressure on the football chief following the collapse of a controversial plan to open the FIFA World Cup to private investment.
Carney, whose country co-hosted the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico, said Infantino’s handling of the proposal had undermined confidence in his leadership.
“Certainly I don’t have confidence in Mr Infantino, after this point, given what transpired,” Carney told reporters.
The Canadian leader said reports that Infantino failed to consult FIFA’s senior management before pursuing the proposal reflected poor leadership.
“This is not how you run any business, a small business, let alone something that is a global responsibility like football,” Carney said during a news conference in Toronto.
He added that the alleged lack of consultation “should be fatal” to Infantino’s tenure as head of world football’s governing body.
Infantino has faced mounting criticism, including from within FIFA, since abandoning the proposal last Saturday. The now-shelved plan sought to establish a new commercial subsidiary, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, to oversee major competitions, including the World Cup, through private investment.
The controversy has fuelled calls for Infantino to resign, marking one of the most significant challenges of his presidency.
In an effort to contain the crisis, Infantino convened an emergency meeting with FIFA directors in Morocco, host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The leadership turmoil comes just weeks after FIFA celebrated what was widely regarded as a successful 2026 World Cup — the first edition featuring 48 teams and jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
