Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he no longer has confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as pressure mounts over the handling of a controversial proposal to sell the commercial rights to the men's World Cup.
Speaking to reporters in Toronto, Carney criticised what he described as a failure of transparency within football's governing body.
"The idea that proper governance is not to disclose to your closest advisers, your chief operating officer, your fellow board members something of consequence ... that's fatal, should be fatal, and you lose confidence in that individual," he said.
He added: "Certainly I don't have confidence in Mr. Infantino after this point, given what transpired, and given the nature of what transpired."
Carney's remarks came as Infantino held crisis talks with senior FIFA officials in Morocco following the collapse of the commercial rights proposal, which has sparked fresh criticism of his leadership ahead of next year's FIFA Congress.
Infantino is expected to seek a fourth term as FIFA president in March, but the controversy has exposed growing divisions within the organisation.
The backlash has extended beyond external critics. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom reportedly described the episode as a "sad and reproachable series of events", while senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned last week.
The proposal and its collapse have raised wider questions about governance and decision-making at FIFA, with critics arguing that major strategic plans should have been shared more openly with senior officials.
Carney also praised Victor Montagliani, the Canadian businessman who leads CONCACAF, football's governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Montagliani has emerged as a potential successor to Infantino should the race for the FIFA presidency become contested.
"(Montagliani is a) credit to Canada, credit to football. Done a very good job in his role at CONCACAF," Carney said.
"He's someone I know well and have tremendous respect for."
The dispute comes only weeks after Canada helped host the FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico. Matches in Toronto and Vancouver attracted strong crowds and were widely viewed as a success.
However, attention has quickly shifted from the tournament to questions over FIFA's leadership, with the organisation facing renewed scrutiny over its governance as preparations begin for the next presidential election.
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Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 27 October 2026, covering a local ceasefire for humanitarian operations in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, fresh attacks affecting civilians, and the latest military, diplomatic and international developments surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war.
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