‘I joined a Zoom call with Infantino – the text afterwards was crazy’ | Football | Sport

The Liverpool legend was one of several former professionals invited onto the video call, where the concept of a biennial World Cup was proposed. Carragher explained that he hated the idea but nonetheless politely listened to the pitch. However, after the call ended, he received a text from one of the organisers pressing him to explicitly endorse the idea on social media and he refused to do so.

“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. 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!’

“We get on this Zoom and it wasn’t just English players. It was like Javier Mascherano, there were foreign players from all over the world. They’re basically talking about the pros of a World Cup every two years. I’m just listening, asking questions. I don’t like the idea.

“We finish this Zoom. I haven’t said whether I don’t like it or it shouldn’t happen, I’m just chatting with these ex-players. And the guy who was organising the Zoom then text me and said, ‘Okay, can you put this out?’ – like supporting it. I was like, ‘No, no, no. Just because I came on the Zoom – I don’t agree with and I don’t want it. I think it’s rubbish.'”

The former England defender said he quickly realised that the genuine opinions of the players didn’t matter to the top brass. He added: “That was my insight into it with Wenger and Infantino above him, with getting all these ex-players in and like, ‘This makes us look okay’. Half of these ex-players, they don’t care. From that, I was like, ‘I’m not having this at all.'”

UEFA’s 55 member nations unanimously threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the plan wasn’t shelved. They were quickly backed by the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, who expressed deep concerns over the lack of transparency.

Whilst Infantino was forced to completely scrap the investment plan on Friday in a humiliating U-turn, the damage, it appears, has been done. UEFA leaders have reportedly lost all confidence in him and are already preparing to identify a rival candidate to oust him in next year’s presidential election.