The Premier League has piled even more pressure on under-fire Gianni Infantino by joining forces with Europe’s major leagues to hit out at the FIFA president’s ‘exploitative ideas’ and demand urgent reform to a governing body they brand as ‘not fit for purpose’.

Infantino has resisted calls to stand down following the furious backlash to his secret plans to sell stakes in the World Cup to the highest bidder, over which UEFA have taken legal action, and plans to stand for re-election for a fourth term.

The 56-year-old has promised to launch an independent review of FIFA’s governance, insisting he is ‘determined and committed’ to doing ‘what is right for the game’, in the wake of his failed plan labelled ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’ (FFE).

However, a fiery joint statement from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga hit back at what they describe as 'one of the biggest abuses of power in FIFA’s history.’

‘Football’s longstanding foundations have, in recent years, been threatened by a fundamental governance problem, whereby FIFA’s president has actively promoted exploitative ideas rather than safeguarding against them. And while football’s stakeholders ultimately forced the withdrawal of the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, the conditions that led to FFE remain.’

The major leagues also made a barely concealed reference to the controversy over US star Folarin Balogun’s red card at the World Cup, which saw Donald Trump lobby FIFA to have his ban overturned.

'The FIFA President has now acknowledged the need for reform, but it is not enough for surface-level, process changes to be explored in the aftermath of FFE.

'Fundamental governance reform is essential to restore clear constitutional boundaries within FIFA, including confidence that individual disciplinary matters remain demonstrably insulated from political interference.'

They also accused Infantino’s FIFA of ‘relentless expansionism’ and criticised its decisions to keep extending the international match calendar.

The joint statement was signed by Premier League chief executive Richard Masters alongside Marc Lenz and Luigi De Siervo, his counterparts at the Bundesliga and Serie A, as well as the president of La Liga Javier Tebas.

‘A FIFA governance that concentrates unchecked regulatory, commercial and political power in a single office, while relegating affected stakeholders to mere advisory status, is not fit for purpose,’ they went on to say.

‘FIFA’s governance problem goes far beyond the role of one individual. The wider question is whether FIFA’s president should simultaneously wield such regulatory, commercial and political power without effective checks and balances, including the agreement of affected stakeholders.

'More than a decade ago, following criminal proceedings involving senior football officials, FIFA’s own reform process sought to address these issues – yet, once again, football has suffered one of the biggest abuses of power in FIFA’s history.’

The leagues demand that FIFA bring together stakeholders including national associations, leagues, clubs and players from across men’s and women’s football that must ‘be fully informed about new initiatives and have a meaningful role in FIFA’s decision-making process.’

They must be consulted before making changes to the match calendar and any ethics, financial and electoral bodies must have powers that are ‘genuinely independent’ from the president.

Infantino is yet to have anyone stand against him for the elections that take place in Morocco in March.

The statement concluded: ‘Now is the moment to decide not only who will lead FIFA, but also how FIFA should be led. Leagues have a crucial role to play in this process, and we want to ensure that the voice of every league is heard.

‘Football needs FIFA to be a strong institution. But strength must be matched by accountability. FIFA’s authority can only come from sharing responsibility, accepting scrutiny and earning trust.’