World Cup co-hosts US and Canada oppose Infantino

The football federations of the United States and Canada, both co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, have joined three confederations in criticizing FIFA president Gianni Infantino. US Soccer, Canada Soccer, the Caribbean Football Union, and the Central American Football Union issued a joint statement, expressing their support for calls for meaningful change to FIFA's governance, transparency, and accountability.

This stance places the US and Canada in opposition to Mexico, the third co-host of this year's World Cup, which has backed Infantino. Infantino's tenure has been marred by intense pressure following his initial proposal and later withdrawal of a plan to raise private investment for a new commercial subsidiary, the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), intended to manage the commercial aspects of World Cups.

FIFA responded to the growing criticism on Saturday, denouncing a "concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine the football's governing body and Infantino." However, the FIFA chief faced renewed scrutiny on Monday as a joint letter from UEFA (Europe), CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), and AFC (Asian) confederations declared that football belongs to no individual.

The letter emphasized that leadership in football is not a possession or about holding power, but rather about the collective ownership and responsibility of the sport. The US Soccer and Canada Soccer statement included a link to the joint letter, underscoring their commitment to the confederations' call for reform.