Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has delivered a strongly worded criticism of Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s plan for a World Cup sell-off, accusing the organisation of harming itself through its own decision-making.
Masters said Fifa had effectively “pressed the self-destruct button” and described the situation as “a self-inflicted wound”. His remarks amount to a direct challenge from one of English football’s most senior administrators to the leadership of the game’s global governing body.
The criticism was aimed at Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan. The supplied material does not set out the full details of the proposal, but Masters’ comments make clear that he views the approach as damaging to Fifa’s position and reputation.
The intervention is significant because the Premier League is one of the most influential competitions in world football, while Fifa oversees the World Cup, the sport’s most prominent international tournament. Public criticism from the Premier League’s chief executive underlines the seriousness of the dispute over the plan.
Fifa’s response to Masters’ comments was not included in the supplied material. The latest known position is that Masters has openly condemned the proposal and framed the consequences as damage created by Fifa itself.
