Europe’s Top Leagues Demand FIFA Governance Reform

The Premier League and the top leagues of Spain, Italy and Germany have called for reform of FIFA’s governance, saying the organisation has a “fundamental governance problem.” Their statement followed FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s abandoned proposal to sell private investors a 20 percent share of FIFA’s commercial rights in the World Cup. The plan was reportedly worth $4.2 billion and drew criticism from national federations and governing bodies, including UEFA and CONCACAF. The leagues accused Infantino of promoting “exploitative ideas rather than safeguarding against them.” The article describes growing pressure on Infantino, who has been FIFA president since February 2016 and intends to seek re-election despite losing support over the proposal. Last week, England’s Football Association asked him to release documents concerning the plan, along with records related to FIFA’s decision to overturn US striker Folarin Balogun’s red card during the summer’s tournament. Infantino has responded by saying he is open to discussions about reform. In a social media post, he referred to a letter sent to FIFA’s council and member nations proposing dialogue, and said he had received positive messages. He pointed to an upcoming FIFA Council meeting as an opportunity to continue discussions and called for a culture of listening and mutual respect. Infantino rejected the suggestion that his reform overtures were intended to generate favorable headlines, saying they were about doing what was right for football and benefiting the game globally. The article presents this response alongside the leagues’ criticism and the wider dissatisfaction among football authorities.

The Bundesliga, Premier League, La Liga and Serie A have jointly called for fundamental reforms to FIFA’s governance, arguing that affected stakeholders need a greater role in decisions and that power within the organization requires stronger checks and balances. Their Friday letter says football’s foundations have been threatened by governance problems and criticizes FIFA’s handling of commercial and regulatory decisions. The demand follows FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial vehicle intended to organize FIFA tournaments while maximizing profits. The plan drew strong opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, and Infantino quickly dropped it. The league leaders say that abandoning FFE and announcing an independent review and consultations are not enough: they want changes that restore constitutional boundaries and protect disciplinary decisions from political interference. The letter also points to controversy over the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban, which allowed him to play in a World Cup last-16 match against Belgium. The suspension followed a call from US President Donald Trump to Infantino asking for a review. The leagues say major decisions, including changes to the international match calendar that affect domestic competitions, have been made without meaningful involvement from those most affected. The letter criticizes concentrated power but does not call for Infantino to resign or name him directly. Meanwhile, UEFA is seeking a candidate to challenge him in the next FIFA presidential election, scheduled for March 18, 2027, and is pursuing legal steps to obtain documents about FFE. UEFA says the material could inform a criminal complaint in Switzerland if evidence shows FFE was undervalued. FIFA has called UEFA’s legal actions a smear campaign and has not commented on the leagues’ letter. Infantino plans to discuss his proposals at a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on October 15; UEFA’s member associations are due to meet in Berlin on October 8. Candidates must register by November 18.

The Bundesliga, Premier League, La Liga and Serie A have called for major reforms to FIFA’s governance, arguing that the organization’s decision-making is overly concentrated and that affected stakeholders have too little influence. In a letter released Friday, the league heads said football’s foundations had been threatened by a governance problem and called for changes that go beyond procedural adjustments. They want clearer constitutional limits on FIFA’s authority, stronger checks and balances, and assurance that disciplinary decisions are protected from political interference. The letter follows FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal for FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial vehicle intended to organize FIFA tournaments and maximize profits. Opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation prompted Infantino to drop the proposal. The leagues say its withdrawal does not address deeper governance concerns and reject the idea that an external review and consultations alone would be sufficient. The letter also objects to FIFA’s unilateral decisions on matters such as expanding the International Match Calendar and lengthening breaks in domestic competitions, arguing that affected stakeholders are not meaningfully involved. It alludes to controversy over the suspension of United States striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban, which allowed him to play a World Cup last-16 match against Belgium. The suspension followed a call from US President Donald Trump to Infantino asking for a review. The leagues did not name Infantino or demand his resignation. Meanwhile, UEFA is seeking a candidate to challenge him in the March 2027 presidential election and has pursued a review of the FFE plan, including legal efforts to obtain related documents. FIFA has called UEFA’s legal actions a “smear campaign” and had not commented on the leagues’ letter. Infantino plans to discuss his proposals at a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on October 15; UEFA’s 55 member associations are due to meet in Berlin on October 8. Candidates for the March 18, 2027 election must register by November 18.

The Premier League and the leading leagues of Spain, Italy and Germany have called for fundamental reform of FIFA’s governance, increasing pressure on president Gianni Infantino. Their joint statement followed the collapse of a proposal to create a commercial company, FIFA Forward Enterprise, that would manage the World Cup with private investment. The reported plan, valued at $20 billion (€17 billion), included potential investment from the Kushner family and provoked opposition within FIFA and among national football federations. The leagues described the episode as “one of the biggest abuses of power in FIFA’s history” and accused Infantino of promoting exploitative ideas rather than protecting football. While they stopped short of UEFA’s explicit call for Infantino to resign, they criticized FIFA’s “relentless expansionism” and said the debate must address both who leads the organization and how it is governed. They argued that the problem extends beyond one president, questioning whether the role should combine regulatory, commercial and political power without effective checks and balances. The dispute is part of a broader conflict between FIFA and European football interests. The leagues’ network filed a complaint about FIFA’s governance standards with the European Commission in 2023, and Infantino’s major initiatives have faced resistance from European officials concerned about their effects on domestic football. FIFA has apologized for errors related to the abandoned proposal and promised to prevent a recurrence, but criticism has continued and Infantino has reportedly lost support among some national federations. Infantino plans to seek another term in next year’s election, which would take him through 2031. The candidate-entry deadline is 18 November, with the vote scheduled in Morocco four months later. The four leagues want candidates to campaign on a platform of fundamental reform. Their intervention adds to the pressure ahead of a meeting of the European Football Clubs group in Denmark.