𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said FIFA boss Gianni Infantino is “the wrong man to lead the organisation” in the wake of the “outrageous” plan to seek private investment in a company to run the World Cup.

He has called for Infantino to quit as the head of football’s international ruling body in the wake of the controversial plan to sell a stake in the World Cup. FIFA’s plans to sell a minority stake in a new company, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to private investors first emerged in media reports on Tuesday.

FIFA confirmed that Thrive Eternal – a company founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of United States President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner – had been earmarked as the leader of the investor group.

In a fierce reaction to the move, European nations under UEFA, comprising 55 member associations, threatened to boycott Fifa competitions until the project is scrapped.

The plan was also rejected by Asian confederations and the one representing nations from North and Central America.

Mr Burnham, a keen Everton supporter, told reporters during a visit to Sheffield: “This was an outrageous suggestion.

“The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, that the FIFA is the wrong man to lead the organisation.”