European leagues pressure Infantino as FIFA deemed not fit for purpose

On 25 September 2026 the Premier League joined La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga in a joint statement that accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of promoting ‘exploitative ideas’ and branded the governing body ‘not fit for purpose’. The four leagues, representing the major competitions in Europe, said the sport’s foundations are under threat from a structural governance problem.

Criticism of Infantino’s agenda

Infantino, 56, has resisted calls to stand down after a furious backlash to secret plans to sell World Cup stakes to the highest bidder – a scheme that has prompted legal action by UEFA. He intends to stand for re‑election for a fourth term at the FIFA congress in Morocco in March.

The president has pledged an independent review of FIFA’s governance, insisting he is ‘determined and committed’ to doing ‘what is right for the game’ following the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.

Joint league demands

The statement, signed by Premier League chief executive Richard Masters, Bundesliga’s Marc Lenz, Serie A’s Luigi De Siervo and La Liga president Javier Tebas, described Infantino’s actions as ‘one of the biggest abuses of power in FIFA’s history’. It warned that FIFA’s concentration of regulatory, commercial and political power in a single office leaves stakeholders with merely advisory status.

Leagues also referenced the controversy surrounding US striker Folarin Balogun’s World Cup red card, noting that former US president Donald Trump lobbied FIFA to overturn the ban.

They called for a permanent body that includes national associations, leagues, clubs and players from both men’s and women’s football, to be consulted before any changes to the international match calendar. They demanded that ethics, financial and electoral committees be genuinely independent from the president.

According to the leagues, about 1 percent of professional footballers worldwide take part in the World Cup, while the rest see their domestic seasons halted when FIFA expands the International Match Calendar. The leagues highlighted a complaint lodged with the European Commission in October 2024 over alleged dominant‑position abuse related to the calendar.

In concluding remarks, the leagues urged that the upcoming election be a moment to decide not only who will lead FIFA but also how it should be led, insisting that strength must be matched by accountability and stakeholder scrutiny.