The Premier League, together with three of Europe’s most prominent domestic competitions, is set to issue a coordinated appeal for swift governance reform at FIFA, a move prompted by the ongoing controversy surrounding its president, Gianni Infantino. According to a source close to Sky News, the top-tier English league will join forces with the Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A to publish a joint statement that stresses the need for greater consultation on critical matters, most notably the worldwide football calendar. The collaborative declaration is still being finalised, with the four leagues working through the final details on Thursday afternoon. It remains unclear whether the document will explicitly demand that Infantino step down, but the tone is unmistakably one of urgency and insistence on structural change.
As one insider familiar with the negotiations put it, "The Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A will release a joint statement insisting that FIFA must adopt more independent oversight and grant stakeholders – including domestic leagues – a genuine role in decision‑making." The push for reform follows a legal complaint lodged nearly two years ago by the European Leagues Association – an organisation that represents the same quartet of leagues – to the European Union. The complaint criticised FIFA’s handling of the International Match Calendar, alleging that the governing body has acted without sufficient transparency or consultation with the leagues that depend on a predictable schedule for their commercial and sporting operations.
For several years, the Premier League and its European counterparts have been at odds with FIFA over the phenomenon known as “calendar creep.” This term describes the gradual expansion of the international match schedule, which threatens to increase the frequency of Club World Cups and to broaden national‑team tournaments. Such changes raise alarm bells for the world’s most lucrative domestic competitions, which fear that a congested calendar could erode player welfare, diminish broadcast revenues and undermine the competitive balance of their leagues.
Earlier in the week, Sky News reported that Infantino, who appears increasingly confident about retaining his position when he stands for re‑election next year, sent a letter to football leaders worldwide indicating his willingness to discuss organisational reform. In the correspondence, Infantino proposed that the FIFA Council consider launching an "independent external review of FIFA's current governance framework for major strategic initiatives and recommend potential improvements." The proposed review would examine who holds decision‑making authority over major initiatives, clarifying the respective roles of the President, the Bureau, the Council and the Congress.
It would also explore ways to enhance transparency and accountability throughout FIFA’s operations. Infantino pledged to engage in talks with confederations, member associations and other stakeholders to strengthen the governing body’s decision‑making processes, while emphasizing that any discussions would not be pre‑judged and could be addressed at the Council’s next meeting. Despite these overtures, Infantino’s reform agenda has been met with fierce criticism from various corners of the football industry. Executives and associations have condemned his suggestion to sell a 20 percent stake in FIFA’s commercial rights – including those attached to the World Cup – to private investors.
Among the potential investors mentioned was Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to the daughter of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The proposal, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), sparked a global backlash and was ultimately abandoned in July after threats emerged that national federations and clubs might boycott FIFA‑organised tournaments. The outcry was not limited to clubs; continental bodies such as UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF – which represents North and Central America and the Caribbean – have also called for changes to FIFA’s leadership structure. In a letter obtained by Sky News, Infantino addressed the heads of all 211 member associations and the FIFA Council, stating that his duty is to serve “all 211 member associations fairly, regardless of their position on any individual matter.” He added that “strong institutions do not wait for their systems to fail before considering how they can be improved.” Nevertheless, the letter did not contain any suggestion that Infantino himself would be subject to review or removal. Instead, it reaffirmed his intention to remain at the helm of FIFA, arguing that his responsibilities are “larger than any individual proposal or disagreement.” This stance has only deepened the frustration of league officials who feel that the current governance model gives the President disproportionate power without adequate checks and balances.
The Premier League declined to comment on the matter when approached on Thursday, maintaining its usual policy of speaking through official statements rather than individual interviews. The league’s silence, however, does not diminish the significance of its participation in the collective push for reform. By aligning with the Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A, the Premier League is signalling that the concerns over calendar congestion, commercial rights, and governance transparency are shared across the continent’s most influential domestic competitions.
The broader context of this dispute reflects a growing tension between FIFA and the world’s major leagues. As football continues to generate unprecedented commercial revenue, the balance of power between the global governing body and the domestic leagues that produce the sport’s star players becomes increasingly contested. Leagues argue that they need a seat at the table when decisions are made that affect match scheduling, player release windows, and the overall commercial landscape. FIFA, on the other hand, maintains that it must preserve the integrity of international competitions and the global development of the game.
If the joint statement from the four leagues is released as planned, it could mark a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over how football is governed at the highest level. It may force FIFA to confront calls for a more inclusive decision‑making process and could lead to concrete changes in how the International Match Calendar is set, how commercial rights are allocated, and how the organization ensures accountability to its member associations. In the meantime, fans and stakeholders alike will be watching closely to see whether Infantino’s proposed external review materialises, and whether it will result in substantive reforms or merely serve as a symbolic gesture. The outcome will have far‑reaching implications not only for the governance of FIFA but also for the future scheduling of club and international fixtures, the distribution of revenue, and the overall health of the sport’s global ecosystem.
The situation remains fluid, and as the calendar for the upcoming FIFA Council meeting approaches, all eyes will be on how the Premier League and its European partners articulate their demands, and whether FIFA will respond with the depth of reform that the leagues deem necessary.