Lib Dems urge FA and UEFA to quit FIFA over ‘destruction of the beautiful game’

The Liberal Democrats have called on the English Football Association and UEFA to pull out of FIFA, accusing world football’s governing body of “destroying the integrity of the beautiful game”.

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats, told the BBC that FIFA no longer served football or its supporters and should be “dissolved and rebuilt from scratch”.

The unprecedented political intervention comes amid mounting controversy over a series of FIFA decisions at the current World Cup, including the governing body’s sudden reversal of a suspension for United States striker Folarin Balogun after what is described as direct intervention by US President Donald Trump.

UEFA branded the move a “red line” breach, signalling an open rift at the top of the global game.

Balogun U-turn deepens rift with UEFA

The European governing body, UEFA, condemned FIFA’s decision on Balogun as “a crossing of red lines”, describing it as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustified”.

The criticism has highlighted deepening tensions between FIFA and UEFA during the tournament, with senior European officials privately warning that the independence and credibility of disciplinary processes have been undermined.

According to the reports cited, Balogun had initially been ruled out of a World Cup match through suspension before FIFA reversed the ban following what is alleged to have been direct involvement from President Trump. FIFA has not publicly detailed the reasoning behind the U-turn.

Ticket prices, water breaks and ‘corporate greed’

The row over Balogun is only one in a series of flashpoints. FIFA is also facing anger over soaring ticket costs at the World Cup, attributed to a “dynamic pricing” model that raises prices in line with demand.

Critics argue that the system is pushing ordinary fans out of stadiums, while FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the policy, insisting that ticket prices are in line with those for other major sports events in the United States.

There is further controversy around commercialisation of the tournament’s mandated water breaks. Estimates cited in UK coverage suggest the additional advertising slots around these stoppages could generate up to $250m (£189m) in extra revenue.

For detractors, the combination of pricing policies and monetised breaks is evidence that FIFA is prioritising profit over supporters. Sir Ed Davey accused Infantino of having “crossed red lines again and again” and of having “allowed corporate greed to exploit fans however it likes, destroying the integrity of the beautiful game”.

Referee dispute adds to pressure on FIFA

FIFA has also come under fire over its handling of the case of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was reportedly barred from entering the United States to officiate World Cup matches.

Critics say FIFA failed to protect a match official appointed for its own flagship tournament, raising questions over how host country restrictions are managed and whether all officials and teams are being treated fairly.

The Liberal Democrats argue that, taken together, the Balogun ruling, the ticketing row, the commercial use of water breaks and the Omar Artan case demonstrate that FIFA has “gone too far”.

The BBC has approached FIFA, UEFA and the English FA for comment.

Call for a coordinated European walkout

FIFA, which organises the World Cup and has 211 national associations as members, includes the English FA among its ranks. Any decision by the FA to leave FIFA would automatically make England ineligible to compete in the World Cup.

Despite that, Sir Ed Davey urged football authorities to contemplate a drastic reset.

He said football associations should work together “to build an honest and transparent governing body that puts fans first”, adding: “The only way forward is for the FA, alongside other European bodies, to lead a coordinated withdrawal from FIFA.”

Sir Ed called on UEFA to take the lead in driving change.

“It is time for UEFA to step up, withdraw from FIFA, and begin working with other continental confederations to build a clean and transparent governing body that puts supporters first,” he said.

The proposal, while unlikely to be implemented in the short term, underlines the growing discontent in parts of European football – and in UK politics – with the way the global game is being run at its highest level.