Premier League and La Liga lead FIFA reform calls after ‘exploitative’ plan

Europe’s four leading domestic leagues have publicly urged governance reform at FIFA after disputes surrounding a halted commercial proposal by president Gianni Infantino. In a joint statement, the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga accused Infantino of advancing "exploitative ideas rather than safeguarding against them," intensifying criticism already levelled by other national and regional bodies. Infantino drew widespread opposition when he proposed selling a 20% stake in FIFA’s World Cup commercial rights to private investors, a deal reported to potentially be worth about $4.2 billion. The plan was subsequently abandoned, but it prompted backlash from key organisations including UEFA and CONCACAF and led several national federations to question his leadership. England’s Football Association has separately asked Infantino to disclose all documents connected to the investor proposal and a contentious decision to overturn US striker Folarin Balogun’s red card during this summer’s tournament. Those requests, along with the leagues’ statement, add to mounting demands for greater transparency and accountability within FIFA. Infantino, who has been FIFA president since February 2016 and is planning to stand for re-election, responded on social media by saying he welcomes dialogue with member associations about reforms. Writing from the Arabian Gulf Cup tournament, he said he had sent a letter to the FIFA Council proposing discussions and insisted the process should focus on "what is right for the game," while affirming his commitment to engage with member nations at an upcoming FIFA Council meeting.