Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for Gianni Infantino to step down as FIFA president, saying he has lost confidence in the football governing body’s leader following controversy over a now-abandoned plan to bring private investors into FIFA’s commercial operations.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, August 5, Carney criticised Infantino’s handling of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, which would have created a commercial subsidiary to oversee FIFA competitions, including the FIFA World Cup.
The proposal aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling a 20 per cent stake in the new company, valuing the business at approximately $20 billion.
“I don’t have confidence in Mr. Infantino after what transpired and the nature of what transpired,” Carney said, adding that FIFA’s internal processes would determine the next steps.
The proposal faced strong opposition from several football governing bodies, including UEFA and CONCACAF, with UEFA reportedly threatening to boycott FIFA competitions if the plan moved forward.
Carney also pointed to the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser and FIFA’s representative on the White House Task Force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Carlos Cordeiro is someone I’ve known for more than three decades,” Carney said. “He is a person of high integrity, and despite his expertise, he was not consulted on the proposal.”
The Canadian leader questioned FIFA’s governance, saying major decisions should never be made without consulting senior executives and board members.
“This is not how you run any organisation, let alone one with global responsibility like football,” he said.
Following widespread backlash, FIFA withdrew the investment proposal. However, criticism of Infantino’s leadership has continued to grow.
Carney, who appeared alongside Infantino during the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, said the failure to consult key advisers over such a significant proposal should be enough to end any leader’s tenure.
“I’ve run a few organisations in my time,” Carney said. “If you don’t disclose something of this magnitude to your closest advisers, your chief operating officer and your fellow board members, that should be fatal. You lose confidence in that individual.”
