August 12, 2026 | 06:26 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The football federations of the United States (US Soccer) and Canada (Canada Soccer) have backed a statement from three confederations criticizing FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
"US Soccer, Canada Soccer, the CFU (Caribbean Football Union), and UNCAF (Central American Football Union) stand together—alongside our colleagues around the world—in calling for meaningful change that strengthens FIFA's governance, transparency, and accountability," read their joint statement posted on X, as cited by *Sports Illustrated* on Tuesday.
This stance places the two 2026 World Cup co-hosts at odds with the Mexican Football Federation, which continues to support Infantino.
The statement follows a joint letter issued by three global football confederations—UEFA (Europe), CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)—calling for reforms to FIFA's governance.
US Soccer and Canada Soccer also shared links to the three confederations' joint letter on social media.
In the letter, UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC asserted that football does not belong to any single individual. The statement served as an implicit criticism of Infantino's leadership.
"Leadership in football is not about ownership. Leadership is not about holding or demanding power for oneself. Football does not belong to any single individual," the three confederations stated jointly.
The position taken by the US and Canada puts them at odds with Mexico, their partner in hosting the 2026 World Cup; the Mexican Football Federation reportedly maintains its support for Infantino.
Pressure on Infantino has mounted following scrutiny of his plan to secure private investment through a new FIFA commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The entity was originally designed to manage the commercial aspects of the World Cup.
Infantino had previously proposed the creation of FFE but subsequently scrapped the plan amidst various controversies. On Saturday (August 8), FIFA responded to mounting criticism by citing a "coordinated and sustained effort by certain parties to undermine" both the organization and Infantino.
However, pressure on Gianni Infantino intensified again two days later after UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC issued a joint statement emphasizing the need for reform in global football governance.
The 2026 World Cup was hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. These three nations co-hosted the tournament—which featured 48 national teams—with Spain emerging as the champion.
Read: UEFA, Other Football Federations Unite Against Gianni Infantino
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