{
  "id": 1816711,
  "title": "Premier League chief says Infantino hit ‘self-destruct’ button with World Cup plan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/premier-league-chief-says-infantino-hit-self-destruct-button-with",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-18T21:48:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2026/08/19/premier-league-chief-says-infantino-hit-self-destruct-with-world-cup-plan"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has criticized Fifa president Gianni Infantino for his plan to inject private investment into the World Cup, claiming it amounted to a \"self-destruct\" move. Masters' assessment comes as Kevin Lamour, who has publicly opposed Infantino, departed his role as Fifa's chief operating officer last month. The criticism has been echoed by UEFA, England's Football Association, and other football governing bodies, with Masters stating that the situation is \"a problem of Fifa's making\" and a \"self-inflicted wound.\" He emphasized that as a not-for-profit organization, Fifa should be safeguarding the World Cup's future rather than profiting from it. Masters further argued against the idea of selling a stake in the World Cup, deeming it a poor decision and urging potential candidates for Infantino's position to focus on reforming the organization, including the president's role and its relationship with other stakeholders.",
  "summary": "Richard Masters says the FA has taken the right position on Gianni Infantino after withdrawing its support for the Fifa president.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Premier League chief says Infantino hit ‘self-destruct’ button with World Cup plan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/premier-league-chief-says-infantino-hit-self-destruct-button-with-1821676",
        "published": "2026-08-18T21:48:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}