Burnham Declares Infantino 'Wrong Man' for FIFA as British Public Backs World Cup Boycott
Key Takeaways
- •FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proposed selling World Cup ownership stakes to private investors, which would represent an unprecedented shift for an organization that has managed the tournament's commercial rights internally since 1930.
- •YouGov polling shows 73 percent of Britons support a UEFA boycott of the next World Cup, rising to 87 percent among football fans, while overall backing for FIFA's privatization plans stands at just six percent.
- •A sustained UEFA boycott could result in home nations withdrawing from the Women's World Cup in Brazil next year and the 2030 men's tournament, potentially splitting the World Cup along continental lines.
- •Despite growing calls for his departure from figures including Andy Burnham and Nigel Farage, Infantino has refused to withdraw the proposal since first presenting it.
- •Qatari official Nasser Al-Khelaifi, widely viewed as a potential challenger to Infantino's leadership, has reportedly indicated he is not interested in seeking to oust the FIFA president.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared Gianni Infantino the "wrong man" to lead FIFA, as new polling reveals overwhelming British public support for UEFA's proposed boycott of the next World Cup.
Speaking to reporters in Sheffield on Friday, Burnham criticized FIFA's plans—spearheaded by Infantino—to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, calling the proposal "outrageous."
"The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, that the FIFA [president] is the wrong man to lead the organisation," Burnham said.
The proposed changes to World Cup ownership would mark an unprecedented shift for FIFA, which has managed the tournament's commercial rights internally since the inaugural World Cup in 1930. The World Cup is the organization's single largest revenue source, generating billions in broadcast and sponsorship income each cycle. The initiative has drawn sharp backlash from continental football organizations, with European governing body UEFA promising to boycott the next tournament over the initiative.
YouGov polling indicates the British public firmly backs UEFA's stance. Their latest data shows 73 per cent of Britons support a boycott, a figure that rises to 87 per cent among football fans. Additionally, seven in ten Britons oppose the concept of selling World Cup stakes to investors as a matter of principle—with opposition again higher among football supporters. Overall support for the FIFA plans stands at just six per cent.
Home Nations Face Tournament Absence
The home nations are set to host the next UEFA tournament, the European Championships, but would not see a FIFA event on home soil until the 2035 Women's World Cup. UEFA's boycott proposals could see the home nations withdraw from the Women's World Cup in Brazil next year, as well as the next men's tournament in 2030, which will be co-hosted by a coalition of European, South American, and African nations.
A sustained boycott by UEFA and its member associations would represent one of the deepest fractures in global football governance in decades, potentially splitting the World Cup along continental lines. Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, has so far refused to withdraw the proposal despite mounting pressure from across the sport.
Any potential challenge to Infantino's leadership could open the door for a prominent UEFA figure to assume the FIFA presidency. Qatari official Nasser Al-Khelaifi is reportedly not interested in ousting Infantino, though many have backed him to do so.
Burnham joins a growing chorus calling for Infantino's departure, following similar demands from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
