Burnham Calls Infantino 'Wrong Man' to Lead FIFA

Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that Gianni Infantino is “the wrong man” to lead FIFA following the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance, who deemed the proposal to sell stakes in competitions to private investors as “a bad deal for football.” Burnham had previously criticized the proposal, labeling it an “outrageous suggestion.” His comments came after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) expressed solidarity with European and North American confederations, stating that Infantino's plan could not achieve the necessary consensus to move forward. The AFC emphasized the importance of unity in the FIFA World Cup, warning that any proposal undermining this unity should be reconsidered.

Infantino's proposal would require a straight majority of 106 votes from FIFA's 211 members to pass, but with the AFC's opposition, it is unlikely to gain approval.