Premier League chief says Fifa self-destructed over World Cup plan

What the report says

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has criticised Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s abandoned plan to create a company holding commercial and ticketing rights to Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, and to sell a minority stake to a private investor. Speaking to BBC Sport in an interview published as the new Premier League season approached, Masters said Fifa had created a problem for itself and backed the English FA’s decision to withdraw support for Infantino.

According to BBC Sport, the proposal was dropped after strong opposition from several regional confederations, led by Uefa, with the wider dispute now feeding into debate over Fifa’s leadership ahead of the next presidential election in March. Masters said football needs a candidate who can bring different bodies together and push reform, rather than deepen divisions. He also argued that Fifa should not be considering selling any share of the World Cup, which he said should be safeguarded for the game’s future.

The interview also touched on issues beyond Fifa’s governance. Masters questioned the handling of a World Cup disciplinary case involving US striker Folarin Balogun, saying football’s world governing body should have a clear red-card review process. He also discussed the Premier League’s competitiveness, with several clubs changing managers ahead of the season, and addressed Chelsea’s recent punishment for agent-related rule breaches, saying it differed from profit and sustainability cases because it was based on historic conduct and a sanction agreement.