Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday that he no longer has confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Carney stated that Infantino committed a "fatal" governance failure by not consulting senior FIFA advisors and board members on a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, a move that has since been abandoned.
"It should be fatal," Carney said of the governance failure. "Certainly I don't have confidence in Mr. Infantino."
Canada is set to co-host the 2026 World Cup along with the United States and Mexico. Carney had appeared with Infantino at several tournament events.
The FIFA president's proposal involved creating a company valued at $20 billion to manage the World Cup with private investors, including the Kushner family. The plan faced significant opposition, leading Infantino to abandon it. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), national soccer federations, and senior FIFA advisers all voiced strong opposition.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had previously stated that Infantino was "the wrong man to lead" world soccer. UEFA's 55 member associations had threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the plan proceeded. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football and the Asian Football Confederation also opposed the proposal.
Despite the reversal of the stake sale plan, UEFA has indicated it will work with other confederations to prevent similar proposals from arising in the future.
While Infantino retains support from some member associations, including Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, Carney's comments add to the increasing criticism of FIFA's governance. FIFA's next presidential election is scheduled for March in Rabat, Morocco, with the deadline for candidates to enter the race set for November 18.