Carney Says He Has No Confidence in Infantino as Figo Calls for FIFA President to Resign

What happened:

Watch the highlights:

Gianni Infantino’s grip on FIFA’s political narrative took another hit Wednesday, with Canadian prime minister Mark Carney saying he had no confidence in the FIFA president’s leadership. The Guardian reported that Carney’s intervention followed a bruising day for Infantino, after Portugal great Luís Figo also called for him to resign.

The flashpoint is Infantino’s reported plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Figo’s criticism was sharply worded: he described the plan as “the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed” and said Infantino should stand down “to save football.” Carney was described as more measured, but his position may carry greater political weight because of his proximity to Concacaf president Victor Montagliani.

Why it matters:

This is not just another reputational storm around FIFA governance. The World Cup is FIFA’s central asset, financially and politically. Any proposal to sell stakes in it raises immediate questions about control, distribution of revenue, public trust, and whether the tournament remains a federation-led global competition or becomes more exposed to private investor priorities.

Carney’s comments also matter because Canada is tied directly to the next World Cup cycle as one of the 2026 hosts alongside the United States and Mexico. A public loss of confidence from a sitting prime minister in a host country adds a different kind of pressure from criticism by former players, campaigners, or rival football officials.

Tournament impact:

Nothing in the source says the World Cup structure has changed, that any sale has been completed, or that Infantino is formally facing a no-confidence procedure. The immediate consequence is political: the debate around who should control the tournament’s commercial future is now attached to the next FIFA presidential election.

The Guardian notes that Montagliani is being urged to run against Infantino next year. If he does, Carney’s intervention could become part of a broader Concacaf-centered challenge to the current FIFA leadership. If he does not, the pressure may still force FIFA to explain the investor plan more clearly or retreat from it.

What to watch:

The key question is whether Carney’s statement becomes an isolated political rebuke or the start of an organized challenge. Watch for responses from Montagliani, other host-country officials, confederation leaders, and national associations. Their public positioning will show whether this is a governance crisis with electoral consequences or a damaging but survivable news cycle for Infantino.

Confidence:

Confirmed by the source: Carney said he had no confidence in Infantino’s FIFA leadership, Figo called for Infantino to resign, and the criticism centers on a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Still needing follow-up: the detailed terms of that plan, whether FIFA intends to proceed, and whether Montagliani will actually run against Infantino.