Canadian PM Carney Says He No Longer Trusts FIFA President Infantino After Failed Deal

"FIFA has its own procedures for making those determinations, but certainly I don't have confidence in Mr. Infantino after this point, given what transpired and the nature of what transpired," Carney said 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly declared that he no longer has confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino following the controversy surrounding FIFA's now-scrapped plan to sell part of its commercial business to private investors.

Speaking during a news conference on Wednesday, August 5, Carney criticised Infantino's leadership and decision-making process over the proposed restructuring, describing the handling of the matter as unacceptable.

The proposal involved creating a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would oversee major tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup. FIFA had planned to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling a 20 percent stake in the company, valuing the business at roughly $20 billion.

Reacting to the development, Carney said he had lost confidence in Infantino's ability to lead the global football governing body.

"FIFA has its own procedures for making those determinations, but certainly I don't have confidence in Mr. Infantino after this point, given what transpired and the nature of what transpired," Carney said.

 

The proposal sparked strong opposition from several football governing bodies. UEFA warned it could boycott FIFA competitions if the deal moved forward, while CONCACAF also voiced its opposition.

Carney further pointed to the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, who served as FIFA's representative on the White House Task Force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to the Canadian leader, Cordeiro, despite his extensive experience and close advisory role, was not consulted on the proposal.

"Carlos Cordeiro is someone I've known for more than three decades. He is a person of high integrity, and despite being an adviser with expertise on every aspect of the proposal, he was not consulted," Carney said.

He also criticised FIFA's governance standards, arguing that major decisions of such significance should never be made without consulting key executives and board members.

"This is not how you run any business, let alone an organisation with the global responsibility of football," he stated.

Following widespread criticism from football stakeholders, Infantino confirmed that FIFA had abandoned plans to sell a stake in its commercial operations.

Carney, who appeared alongside Infantino during the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, said the episode had seriously damaged confidence in FIFA's leadership.

"I've run a few organisations in my time. Failing to inform your closest advisers, chief operating officer and fellow board members about something of this magnitude, even at the consideration stage, should be fatal. You lose confidence in that individual," he added.