World Cup co-hosts US, Canada oppose Infantino
US Soccer, Canada Soccer, the Caribbean Football Union and the Central American Football Union backed a statement from three confederations criticising Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has faced significant pressure since initially proposing and later abandoning a plan to raise private investment for a commercial subsidiary, known as the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). This plan was intended to manage the commercial aspects of World Cups. The federations of the United States and Canada, both co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, have now joined a statement from three other confederations criticizing Infantino.
US Soccer, Canada Soccer, the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), and the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) have united, along with their global colleagues, to demand substantial changes to strengthen Fifa's governance, transparency, and accountability. This stance puts the US and Canada in conflict with Mexico, the third co-host of this year's World Cup, which has supported Infantino.
Infantino's initiative to raise private investment for the FFE was met with intense criticism from Fifa itself on Saturday, but the football chief faced renewed backlash on Monday. A joint letter from three confederations - UEFA from Europe, CONCACAF for North and Central America, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) - emphasized that football belongs to no single individual.
The confederations stated that leadership in football is not about possessing or demanding power; it is about shared ownership and not demanding authority. US Soccer and Canada Soccer shared a link to the joint letter on their social media platforms.
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