The Premier League has teamed up with three of its leading European rivals to demand a fundamental overhaul of FIFA’s governance, alleging that President Gianni Infantino has actively pushed exploitative policies.
In a joint statement alongside Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, and Italy’s Serie A, the English top tier explains it is speaking out because it recognises how FIFA’s relentless expansion impacts everyone.
The four leagues argue that the overhaul is necessary to turn world football’s governing body into something transparent, objective, proportionate and inclusive, warning that the sport cannot expand globally if its foundations are weakened.
This follows just days after Infantino suggested an external review of FIFA’s operations, amid the continuing fallout from his unsuccessful attempt to sell a share of the World Cup to private investors—a move that provoked worldwide criticism.
The leagues point to what they describe as one of the most serious abuses of power in FIFA’s history, noting that although stakeholders succeeded in scrapping the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, the underlying conditions that gave rise to it persist.
The statement continued: ‘While the FIFA president has conceded that reform is needed, merely tinkering with surface‑level processes after the FFE episode is insufficient; genuine governance reform is required to re‑establish clear constitutional limits within FIFA and to ensure that individual disciplinary decisions are demonstrably shielded from political influence.’
This alludes to the cancelled suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, which occurred after then‑U.S. President Donald Telephone‑called Infantino requesting a review of the player’s ban.
‘FIFA’s governance issues extend far beyond any single individual,’ the leagues added.
‘The broader issue is whether the FIFA president should hold regulatory, commercial and political authority simultaneously, without effective checks and balances—including the consent of those affected. A system that concentrates unchecked power in one office while reducing stakeholders to advisory roles is simply not fit for purpose.’
FIFA has been contacted for a comment.
