The Liberal Democrats have called for the English FA and Uefa to withdraw from Fifa, accusing world football's governing body of "destroying the integrity of the beautiful game" — a demand that follows Fifa president Gianni Infantino's cross-continental jet-setting during a World Cup marred by controversy.
Sir Ed Davey, the party's leader, said Fifa no longer serves the game or its supporters and should be completely dissolved. The call comes after Fifa's shock decision to overturn a match ban for US striker Folarin Balogun following intervention from President Donald Trump, and amid complaints over astronomical ticket prices and hydration breaks that could generate up to $250m in extra ad revenue.
“Lib Dems call for FA and Uefa to quit Fifa after Trump-intervened Balogun ban reversal and Infantino's 60,000-mile private jet travel.”
"Gianni Infantino has crossed red line after red line, allowing corporate greed to exploit fans at will," Sir Ed said. "It is time for Uefa to step up and walk away from Fifa, and start working with other confederations to build a clean, transparent governing body that puts fans first."
Uefa had already branded the Balogun ruling "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable" and said it had "crossed a red line". Fifa has also faced criticism for its dynamic ticket pricing and for Somali referee Omar Artan being denied entry to the US. Niall Couper, chair of the Football Action Network, said "nothing should be off the table if the game's global governing body refuses to reform".
Meanwhile, flight logs analysed by the Associated Press reveal that Infantino will have flown nearly 60,000 miles — enough to circle the planet almost two and a half times — by the time the World Cup final concludes. He used a Gulfstream G650 jet from the fleet of the Qatari government, a World Cup sponsor, averaging more than one flight a day since June 9. His itinerary included stops in New York for an interview on Fox & Friends, in Miami for a Fifa summit, and in Doha to attend the funeral of Qatar’s former emir.
The Lib Dems say these examples show Fifa is "too far gone". But if the FA withdraws, England would not be able to compete in future World Cups. Sir Ed said football associations should work together "to build a clean, transparent governing body that puts fans first". The only route forward, he added, is for the FA and other European bodies to lead a "co-ordinated exit from Fifa".