Burnham says Infantino unfit after FIFA sell‑off plan dropped

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told reporters in Dover that Gianni Infantino is not the right man to lead FIFA after the controversial plan to sell stakes in a World Cup commercial company was abandoned. "The plan that was put forward was offensive to many people, football people, around the world," he said, adding that it could not simply be forgotten.

The proposal, which would have sold stakes in the entity that runs the commercial and operational side of both the men’s and women’s World Cups, sparked fierce opposition. Three confederations rejected it outright and UEFA pledged to boycott FIFA competitions until the plan was scrapped.

UEFA welcomed the withdrawal but described the scheme as a "shabby, back‑room, opaque deal" that eroded trust in FIFA’s leadership. The governing body said the current FIFA leadership had lost UEFA’s confidence and that the secretive fast‑track approach could not continue.

The fallout also prompted senior resignations within FIFA, including senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who called the initiative "a project of one person".

UEFA announced it will work with its associations and other confederations in the coming weeks to reflect on how the situation arose and devise a thorough, fundamental plan to prevent a repeat, stressing that no option is off the table.

The Independent, which covered the story, highlighted its broader reporting on topics from reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech. It noted investigations into Elon Musk’s pro‑Trump PAC and the production of its documentary "The A Word", which shines a light on American women fighting for reproductive rights, underscoring the outlet’s commitment to parsing facts from messaging.