Andy Burnham calls FIFA's World Cup hosting decisions 'insane' for UK

Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said it is "insane" that the United Kingdom has hosted only one men’s World Cup, in 1966, and has been denied further tournaments. He accused FIFA and UEFA of conspiring against the home nations and questioned whether the governing bodies have "something against us".

Burnham recalled his role in England’s failed 2010 bid for the 2018 World Cup, which was awarded to Russia, and noted the controversies that later led to Sepp Blatter’s removal. He criticised current FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell World Cup shares to private investors and called for Infantino to resign, describing him as the "wrong man" to lead FIFA.

The UK will host matches of Euro 2028 and the women’s World Cup in 2035, having previously staged women’s European Championships in 2005 and 2022.