FIFA President Gianni Infantino gestures as he attends the Women's U20 World Cup opening match between Poland and Argentina in Katowice, Poland, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Gianni Infantino came under more pressure on Friday as the Premier League and three other top European leagues called for FIFA governance reform following the failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

A statement co-signed with the top leagues from Spain, Italy and Germany said soccer had “suffered one of the biggest abuses of power in FIFA’s history.”

It accused FIFA's president of actively promoting “exploitative ideas rather than safeguarding against them.”

The Premier League is soccer's richest and most popular league. Its collaboration with Europe's other leading leagues adds to the growing pressure on Infantino, who is facing the biggest crisis in his 10 years as FIFA’s leader.

While the leagues did not follow UEFA by specifically calling for Infantino to step down, their statement was highly critical, hitting out at FIFA's “relentless expansionism.”

“Football’s longstanding foundations have, in recent years, been threatened by a fundamental governance problem,” it said.

Despite the backlash over his controversial plan to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary and losing the support of many national federations, FIFA says Infantino plans to stand again in next year’s elections for a final term in office through 2031.

The leagues in England, Spain, Italy and Germany said they wanted presidential candidates to stand on a manifesto of fundamental reform.

“FIFA’s governance problem goes far beyond the role of one individual. The wider question is whether FIFA’s president should simultaneously wield such regulatory, commercial and political power without effective checks and balances," they said.

Infantino's now ditched proposal to create a $20 billion company called the FIFA Forward Enterprise to run the World Cup with private investors including the Kushner family, caught the soccer world by surprise when it emerged in July.

The backlash came from both within world soccer's governing body and from other federations, with some declaring they had lost faith in Infantino as a result.

While he has tried to quell anger, with FIFA apologizing for errors and committing to “ensure they do not happen again,” criticism has not gone away.

The group of four leagues provide another critical voice.

They call for stakeholders to have more influence going forward and for “evidence-based decision-making.”

“Now is the moment to decide not only who will lead FIFA, but also how FIFA should be led,” they said.

Nov. 18 is the deadline for candidates to enter the next presidential contest, exactly four months ahead of the vote.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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