By Oscar Okhifo

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for the removal of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, accusing the world football governing body of putting commercial interests ahead of the future of the game through its controversial plan to sell a stake in a newly created commercial entity managing some of its most valuable assets.

In a  post on X on Friday,  Burnham said: “Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine.

“The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone’s to sell.”

He added: “Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out. Football belongs to the fans. It always has, and it always will.”

Burnham argued that Infantino had lost the confidence of many stakeholders by placing commercial interests ahead of the long-term future of football, insisting that the World Cup and other major FIFA tournaments should remain under the full control of the global football community rather than outside investors.

According to him, European football leaders believe the proposal would hand excessive influence over the sport to private investors and undermine the interests of member associations.

The UK Prime Minister said the proposed entity, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), is expected to be valued at about $20 billion, with FIFA planning to sell a 20 per cent stake to private equity investors for an estimated $4.2 billion.

He noted that FIFA has defended the proposal, saying it would generate fresh funds for football development programmes around the world while maintaining control over the governance of the game.

Burnham also pointed to the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino’s top advisers, describing it as further evidence of growing unease over the proposal and FIFA’s governance.

He added that regional football confederations, including UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, had expressed concerns that member associations were not adequately consulted before the proposal was unveiled, while UEFA had accused FIFA of attempting to push through the reforms without broad consensus.

Although he acknowledged FIFA’s position that the proposed commercial structure would generate billions of dollars in fresh revenue to support football development across its 211 member associations, Burnham warned that opening the door to private equity investment could fundamentally alter the governance of the global game and place commercial interests above football’s core values.

Calling for a change in leadership, Burnham said: “This was an outrageous suggestion. The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, Infantino is the wrong man to lead the organisation.”

He urged FIFA to abandon the proposal and embrace greater transparency and accountability, warning that the controversy had plunged world football’s governing body into one of the most significant governance crises of Infantino’s presidency.

The latest controversy adds to a growing list of challenges that have dogged Infantino’s presidency, particularly during and after the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, when the governing body faced criticism over several decisions and governance issues.

With UEFA threatening to boycott future FIFA competitions if the proposed commercial reforms go ahead, the dispute has raised fresh questions about the future of the global game.

 Should Europe’s football powers carry through with such a move, the World Cup would lose many of its biggest teams, significantly diminishing the tournament’s prestige and commercial appeal.

Whether FIFA presses ahead with the proposed sale despite mounting opposition or retreats to preserve the existing order remains uncertain.

 For now, the standoff has set the stage for one of the most consequential battles over the governance of world football in recent history. Time will tell.