The Guardian editorial argues that Gianni Infantino should resign as Fifa president after plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private equity were leaked and then abandoned. It says the episode has seriously damaged his authority and could trigger a wider conflict within world football if he remains in office.

Infantino issued an apology acknowledging the proposal could have been handled differently, but the editorial argues that a sale threatened football’s governance despite Fifa holding billions of pounds in reserves. Uefa has reiterated its lack of confidence, Norway has called for him to stand down, and some European bodies are considering boycotting Fifa competitions; however, Mexico, Argentina and several African nations have backed his continued leadership.