The UK’s Liberal Democrats have called on the English FA and Uefa to withdraw from FIFA entirely, accusing football’s global governing body of “destroying the integrity of the beautiful game.” Party leader Sir Ed Davey says FIFA no longer serves the game or its supporters and should be dissolved outright. For campaigners already demanding accountability over the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, the timing could not be more revealing.
What Triggered the Backlash
The Liberal Democrats’ call follows FIFA’s decision to overturn a match ban for an American player after intervention from US President Donald Trump. The reversal came amid mounting complaints ranging from astronomical ticket prices to hydration breaks reportedly engineered to generate up to $250 million in extra advertising revenue.
Uefa, Europe’s own football governing body, said the decision not to uphold the ban had “crossed a red line,” calling it
“unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”
The episode has exposed a rift between Uefa and FIFA that has been building throughout the tournament.
A Pattern of Governance Failures
The Balogun ban reversal is not an isolated event. It joins a growing list of controversies under FIFA president Gianni Infantino:
Dynamic ticket pricing has pushed match costs to levels critics call exploitative, though Infantino has defended the pricing as consistent with other major US sporting events. Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US and blocked from officiating at the tournament, raising questions about FIFA’s ability to guarantee fair treatment for match officials. And now, a sitting head of state has directly intervened in an on-field disciplinary decision — something a governing body claiming independence from political pressure should never allow.
Anna Sabine MP, the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, said FIFA now behaves
“more like a closed-shop cartel than a neutral global sporting body.”
She added that by
“rubber-stamping a fourth term despite these toxic scandals,”
football’s governing bodies are choosing to
“sit in rotten squalor rather than strive for something better.”
Football Action Network, a campaign group focused on football governance, says the debate over FIFA’s future can no longer be avoided.
“Nothing should be off the table if the game’s global governing body refuses to reform,”
said the group’s chair, Niall Couper.
Why This Matters for FIFA’s 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup
FIFA’s willingness to bend under political pressure in this tournament raises an urgent question for the next one. If a single phone call from a US president can override FIFA’s own disciplinary process during a World Cup hosted in a country with independent courts and a free press, what precedent does that set for 2034 — a tournament FIFA has already awarded to a state that controls its courts, its press, and its security services outright?
Every governance failure raised by the Liberal Democrats — deference to political power, opaque commercial decision-making, a willingness to let outside pressure override FIFA’s own rules — is a preview of the conditions campaigners fear will define Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup. Saudi Arabia will not need to make a phone call to shape outcomes in 2034; FIFA will already be operating on the host government’s territory, under the host government’s law.
Infantino’s Fourth Term and the Road to 2034
Infantino is widely expected to secure a fourth term as FIFA president, extending his tenure to 2031 — comfortably spanning the entire run-up to the Saudi-hosted 2034 tournament. Supporters point to his role in expanding the game and increasing funding for member associations. Critics counter that he has centralised power, prioritised commercial growth over fan experience, and weakened governance standards along the way.
The body responsible for overseeing human rights compliance, worker safety, and press access at the 2034 World Cup is the same body that has just shown it will not hold itself accountable during the current one.
Withdrawal Isn’t Simple — But Accountability Can’t Wait
FIFA has 211 full member national associations. If the English FA withdrew, England would be unable to compete in the World Cup at all — a significant practical barrier to the Liberal Democrats’ proposal, and a reminder of just how much leverage FIFA holds over the national associations meant to check it.
That leverage is exactly why the accountability fight over Saudi Arabia’s 2034 hosting rights needs to happen now, while there is still time to demand enforceable human rights and labour protections attached to the tournament — not after construction, displacement, and worker deaths are already underway.
Take Action
FIFA has shown again this month that it will not hold itself accountable. It’s up to fans, federations, and the public to demand it instead.