The Liberal Democrats have urged the Football Association and other European football organisations to withdraw from Fifa, following a World Cup marred by off-field controversies.
The party branded Fifa "corrupt beyond repair," citing exorbitant ticket prices for supporters and the controversial decision to reverse a US player’s suspension after lobbying from Donald Trump.
Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, stated that Fifa boss Gianni Infantino had "crossed red line after red line." He added: "He has allowed the likes of Donald Trump to dictate on field decisions, whilst allowing corporate greed to exploit fans at will, destroying the integrity of the beautiful game."
Sir Ed called for Uefa to "step up and walk away from Fifa, and start working with other confederations to build a clean, transparent governing body that puts fans first."
Uefa, European football’s governing body, had previously criticised Fifa for overturning US striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban, which followed his red card against Bosnia, after Mr Trump personally lobbied Mr Infantino.
Even before the tournament, Fifa had been attacked more widely for using so-called “dynamic pricing” in its ticket sales, with Mr Infantino claiming prices were in line with other US sporting events.
Fans have also objected to the introduction of “hydration breaks”, allowing broadcasters to generate extra advertising revenue.
Lib Dem culture, media and sport spokeswoman Anna Sabine said: “Football deserves far more than the cronyism, profiteering, and corruption currently served up by Fifa.
“Enough is enough.
“Ultimately, it is the fans, who are just trying to cheer on their team, who are seeing the rules of the game undermined and their wallets squeezed for all they are worth.”
The Lib Dems’ call also comes after the White House’s World Cup chief defended Argentinian players who unfurled a banner claiming ownership of the Falkland Islands after their victory over England on Wednesday.
Fifa’s rules prohibit the display of political messages during the World Cup, and Downing Street has urged the governing body to investigate.
But Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s Fifa taskforce, said on Friday night that the US constitution’s free speech protections meant the Argentina team had a right to “make those statements”.
