British PM urges FIFA president to resign over privatization

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for the immediate resignation of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, labeling him the wrong man for the job as global opposition mounts against a controversial plan to privatize parts of the world football governing body. Burnham’s criticism, delivered in an interview on July 31, 2026, came as three major continental confederations formally rejected the proposal and a senior FIFA advisor resigned in protest.

The FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, which seeks to raise $4.2 billion in private capital by selling stakes in FIFA competitions, has triggered a widespread backlash. UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have all publicly opposed the plan, with UEFA’s 55 member associations agreeing to boycott FIFA competitions if the proposal proceeds. The AFC stated the plan could undermine the unity and universal character of the FIFA World Cup. Together, these three confederations represent 136 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, a voting bloc large enough to block the proposal.

The internal pressure on Infantino intensified with the resignation of his senior advisor on global strategy, Carlos Cordeiro, who called the...