Soccer-Canada PM Carney says he does not have confidence in FIFA's Infantino

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed a lack of confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino over his handling of a collapsed proposal to sell World Cup commercial rights.

Canadian Prime Minister ​Mark Carney said on Wednesday that ​he did not have confidence ‌in FIFA ​President Gianni Infantino over the handling of his proposal to sell off commercial rights to the soccer World Cup. Infantino ‌was holding a crisis meeting with top FIFA officials in Morocco on Wednesday after the collapse of the proposal triggered fresh criticism ahead of his bid for a fourth term ‌at next year's FIFA Congress in March.

Some of Infantino's FIFA colleagues have joined ‌in the furore, with Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom calling the saga a "sad and reproachable series of events," while senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned last week. "The idea that proper governance is not to disclose to your ⁠closest ​advisers, your chief operating ⁠officer, your fellow board members something of consequence ... that's fatal, should be fatal, and you lose confidence ⁠in that individual," Carney told reporters in Toronto.

"Certainly I don't have confidence in Mr. Infantino after ​this point, given what transpired, and given the nature of what transpired." Canada served ⁠as a co-host for the World Cup that concluded last month, drawing in robust crowds for matches ⁠in ​Toronto and Vancouver, along with the U.S. and Mexico.

North American football chief and Canadian businessman Victor Montagliani has emerged as a possible candidate to replace Infantino. "(Montagliani is ⁠a) credit to Canada, credit to football. Done a very good job in his role ⁠at CONCACAF," said ⁠Carney. "He's someone I know well and have tremendous respect for."