The football federations of the United States and Canada have backed a growing call for reforms at FIFA, putting them at odds with fellow 2026 World Cup host nation Mexico, which continues to support FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
US Soccer and Canada Soccer on Monday joined the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) in calling for greater transparency, accountability and stronger governance within world football’s governing body.
The federations said they “stand together, along with our colleagues around the world, in calling for meaningful change that strengthens FIFA’s governance, transparency and accountability.”
The development comes amid mounting pressure on Infantino following controversy over his proposal to establish a new commercial subsidiary, the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which was expected to oversee the commercial operations of the World Cup.
Infantino initially proposed attracting private investment into the new entity but later shelved the plan following criticism from several quarters.
FIFA responded on Saturday by condemning what it described as a “concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” the organisation and its president.
However, the controversy intensified on Monday after UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) issued a joint statement calling for stronger principles in the leadership of global football.
“Football belongs to no individual,” the three confederations declared.
“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding — or demanding — power to be held,” they added.
US Soccer and Canada Soccer subsequently shared the joint statement on social media, signalling their support for the concerns raised by the three confederations.
The position places the United States and Canada on a different footing from Mexico, the third host of the 2026 World Cup, which has publicly backed Infantino.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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