LONDON — Britain’s Liberal Democrats have called on the English Football Association and UEFA to withdraw from FIFA and spearhead the creation of a new international governing body for football, escalating political pressure on FIFA President Gianni Infantino following a series of controversies during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Party leader Sir Ed Davey accused Infantino of repeatedly undermining the credibility of world football, saying the FIFA president had crossed “red line after red line” by allowing political influence and commercial interests to overshadow the sport.
In a video posted on his social media channels Saturday, Davey argued that the ongoing World Cup had exposed what he described as deep structural problems within FIFA’s governance.
“This World Cup has laid bare how utterly broken FIFA is,” Davey said.
He pointed to several recent controversies, including widespread debate surrounding the dismissal of U.S. forward Folarin Balogun and celebrations by Argentina’s players after their victory over England, during which they displayed a banner asserting Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
Davey also criticized what he described as political interference involving U.S. President Donald Trump, alleging that Trump’s communication with Infantino regarding Balogun’s suspension had damaged confidence in FIFA’s independence.
“From the incredibly dodgy spectacle of Donald Trump phoning up Gianni Infantino to personally get a U.S. red card overturned, to FIFA’s sluggish inaction over Argentina’s highly provocative Falklands flag stunt, Infantino has crossed red line after red line,” Davey said.
“He has allowed political interference and corporate greed to completely destroy the integrity of our beautiful game. When are we going to finally blow the whistle? It’s time for the FA, UEFA and European governing bodies to step up, lead a coordinated exit and walk away.”
Davey proposed that European football authorities cooperate with other continental confederations to establish what he described as a cleaner and more transparent international governing organization that prioritizes supporters over commercial interests.
“Let’s work with other confederations to build a clean, transparent governing body that actually puts the fans first,” he said.
The Liberal Democrats, commonly known as the Lib Dems, are currently Britain’s third-largest political party behind the governing Labour Party and the opposition Conservatives. The party previously served as the junior partner in the Conservative-led coalition government between 2010 and 2015.
Davey’s latest criticism continues a campaign he launched earlier in the tournament. Following the controversy surrounding Balogun on July 6, he publicly called for Infantino to resign.
“Infantino must go,” Davey wrote on social media.
“No matter where it’s held, the World Cup belongs to the fans — not gangsters like Trump. We need someone who’ll finally kick corruption out of FIFA.”
The Liberal Democrats have also criticized FIFA over ticket prices for the tournament, arguing that record-high costs have made the competition less accessible to ordinary supporters.
Speaking to Sky News on Saturday, Liberal Democrat lawmaker Munira Wilson called on the English FA to work alongside UEFA and other national football associations to establish an alternative governing organization built on transparency, accountability and the interests of supporters.
Wilson noted that UEFA and several European football federations, including those representing France and Germany, have already voiced strong criticism of FIFA’s handling of the Balogun disciplinary case, although England’s Football Association has not joined those objections.
FIFA has consistently defended its actions throughout the controversy.
The organization maintains that the decision to suspend Balogun’s one-match ban was made independently by its disciplinary committee rather than by FIFA’s executive leadership. FIFA has also defended its ticket pricing policy, arguing that prices are comparable with other major sporting events held in the United States and emphasizing that revenue generated by the World Cup is reinvested into football development programs worldwide.
Infantino’s leadership has faced increasing scrutiny during the tournament over governance issues, commercial partnerships and his close relationship with Trump. Human rights advocates, supporters’ organizations and politicians from several countries have questioned FIFA’s decision-making during the competition.
Despite the criticism, Infantino remains firmly positioned to retain control of world football’s governing body. He is widely expected to seek a fourth term as FIFA president next year and is currently unlikely to face a significant challenger.
The English FA has already indicated its support for Infantino’s continued leadership, highlighting the contrast between Britain’s domestic political criticism and the position adopted by the country’s football authorities.
The dispute underscores growing debate over FIFA’s governance model and whether the world’s most influential football organization can balance commercial expansion, political neutrality and the interests of players and supporters as global scrutiny of the sport continues to intensify.
More in World Cup coverage
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino insisted the governing body’s judicial panels acted independently after U.S. President Donald Trump praised the suspension of Folarin Balogun’s World Cup ban, a decision that drew sharp criticism from UEFA, national federations and leading figures across world soccer.
- World football’s governing body says official attendance is based on scanned tickets, not visual estimates, following scrutiny over the South Korea-Czech Republic match.
- Cooling breaks introduced for player welfare are increasingly altering the flow of matches and creating new tactical opportunities for coaches.
