Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has revealed he was asked to offer his support for FIFA as the organization's president Gianni Infantino comes under pressure to resign
Jamie Carragher speaking on the Football Ramble podcast
Jamie Carragher has revealed he was asked to publicly support one of FIFA's controversial plans
Jamie Carragher has revealed he was asked to publicly support one of FIFA’s controversial plans as Gianni Infantino comes under increasing pressure to resign.
Infantino has come under considerable backlash after plans were revealed to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors. Although those plans have now been scrapped, the organization’s president is facing increasing calls to step down from his position.
Europe’s governing body, UEFA, has already declared it has lost confidence in Infantino, having also threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the plans had gone ahead. England’s Football Association is among those expected to withdraw backing for his bid for a fourth term as president, with Infantino set to stand for re-election in March.
It’s far from the first controversy of Infantino’s leadership, with the recent World Cup providing plenty of flash points, including the decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s ban after an intervention from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Liverpool legend Carragher has now revealed FIFA had tried to call upon him for support for plans to hold the World Cup every two years, as opposed to the four-year cycle currently in use.
“I had a little chat with Arsene Wenger,” Carragher told the Football Ramble podcast. “He was getting involved with FIFA at the time, or he was involved with FIFA, and it was all around this World Cup being every two years.
President Gianni Infantino of FIFA
Gianni Infantino is coming under increasing pressure to resign as FIFA president(Image: 2026 FIFA)
“He said: ‘I’d like you to come on this other call with ex-players, and we’re going to chat about the ideas going forward,’ and I’m like, ‘Brilliant, amazing!’
“So we get on this Zoom, and it wasn’t just English players, it was like [Javier] Mascherano was on there, it was all foreign players from all over the world. They’re basically talking about the pros of a World Cup every two years.
“Now, I’m just listening, asking questions. I don’t like the idea.
“So, we finish this Zoom. Now I haven’t said I don’t like it, it shouldn’t happen, I’m just chatting with these ex-players, and the guy who was organizing the Zoom then text me and said: ‘Okay, can you put this out, can you put this out?’ like supporting it.
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“I was like ‘no, no, no.’ Just because I came on the Zoom, I don’t agree with it, I don’t want it, I think it’s rubbish.”
Carragher added: “It was almost this feeling of ‘once you’re in here with us and you’re on this Zoom, we’re all these ex-players and we’re in.’
“So that was my insight into it with Wenger and, sort of, Infantino above him, was that ‘get all these ex-players in, this makes us look okay.’ The ex-players, half of them don’t care.
“From that, I was like ‘nah, I’m not having this at all.’”