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The association of European football leagues called for a reform of FIFA's governance on Wednesday, adding to the growing pressure on president Gianni Infantino following his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.
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Infantino reportedly held a meeting with senior officials in Rabat, Morocco, the same day that European Leagues—which includes top-tier competitions like the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A—called the proposal “dangerous” and stated it pointed to deeper concerns about how the world football governing body operates.
The association indicated that the plan raised “serious questions about FIFA's governance, internal culture, and decision-making.”
“Now more than ever, FIFA requires a governance reform that ensures all relevant stakeholders have a formal role in the decisions that shape the future of our sport,” European Leagues maintained.
In the statement, European Leagues lashed out at the possibility of further expanding the World Cup to 64 teams and noted that “FIFA must not be allowed to continue making unilaterally disruptive decisions.”
It added that, until there was a reform, it would reject the “expansion or creation” of FIFA competitions.
¿Qué dijo Luis Figo sobre Gianni Infantino y por qué pidió su renuncia?
Portugal and Real Madrid star Luis Figo also called for Infantino to resign, stating that he had “degraded the office.”
Later on Wednesday, FIFA denied a British media report suggesting that Infantino, while seeking support for his presidency, had offered Morocco the hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup final. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are the main co-hosts of the 2030 edition. Morocco hopes to host the final at the planned King Hassan II Stadium, with a capacity of 115,000 spectators, near Casablanca; Spain has at least two candidates: the stadiums of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
FIFA responde a las acusaciones sobre la final del Mundial 2030
A FIFA spokesperson said it is “false and misleading to claim that the FIFA President has made any promise regarding the organization of the 2030 FIFA World Cup final. FIFA will make a decision in due course.”
European Leagues is the most recent entity to condemn Infantino's plans following a tumultuous week, which has raised doubts about his FIFA presidency ahead of the March elections.
The European football governing body, UEFA, has exerted the most intense pressure by voting in favor of boycotting the World Cup if Infantino moved forward with the controversial plans to sell benefits from his main competition through a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would manage tournaments.
Even after Infantino backtracked, UEFA stated that it had lost confidence in FIFA's leadership, possibly paving the way for a challenge to his presidency. The North American, Central American, and Caribbean football governing body (CONCACAF) also declared that FIFA's leadership had “stopped putting football first.”
Las divisiones internas en la FIFA que complican el futuro de Gianni Infantino
On Tuesday, senior FIFA officials such as Arsène Wenger and Secretary General Mattias Grafström distanced themselves from the FFE plans, which highlighted divisions within the organization that were already evident when Infantino's top advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned last week and the Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, claimed that staff were “misled” by the president's lack of transparency.
The summit on Wednesday in Rabat was described as a “crisis meeting” in press reports, amid growing expectation that Infantino will be challenged in next year's elections, when he aspired to win a fourth and final term.
[Publicidad]