U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino hold the FIFA World Cup trophy before handing over to captain Rodri of Spain at the award ceremony following the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Photo by Carl Recine / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP.

The football federations of the United States and Canada — two of the 2026 World Cup host nations — on Monday backed a statement from three confederations criticising FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

US Soccer, Canada Soccer, the CFU (Caribbean Football Union) and UNCAF (Central American Football Union) said they “stand together, along with our colleagues around the world, in calling for meaningful change that strengthens FIFA’s governance, transparency and accountability”.

That puts the US and Canada at odds with the third co-host of this year’s World Cup, Mexico, which has given Infantino its backing.

Infantino has come under intense pressure since first proposing and then shelving a plan to raise private investment for a new commercial subsidiary, called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), who he proposed would run the commercial side of World Cups.

FIFA had hit back on Saturday at “a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” football’s governing body and Infantino.

But the FIFA chief came under renewed fire on Monday as a joint letter from three confederations — Europe’s UEFA, CONCACAF for North and Central America and the Caribbean and Asian body AFC — declared football “belongs to no individual”.

“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding — or demanding — power to be held,” the confederations wrote

The social media post from US Soccer and Canada Soccer contained a link to the joint letter.

AFP