Burnham was culture secretary when England’s 2018 World Cup bid was put together, so his criticism comes with first-hand political memory. He pointed to a process that ended with England receiving only two votes from 22 on ’s executive committee, while Russia won 2018 and Qatar took 2022.
“The country that invented the game, you'd think we would have had a bit more of that attention,” Burnham said. “I have been part of governments that have tried to bring the World Cup here, it's just the voting.”
That is the heart of the complaint: not that hosting should be guaranteed, but that the system has too often looked opaque, political and vulnerable to influence.
Burnham also sharpened his criticism toward Gianni Infantino, saying he was the “wrong man” to lead world football amid reported plans involving private investment in the World Cup. Burnham called that idea “offensive to many people, football people, around the world.”
He also framed the wider problem bluntly: “Some of the practices within football haven't supported even-handed decision-making. I'm being diplomatic here, but it's not good, is it?”
That will resonate with plenty of supporters who watched years of governance controversy erode trust in ’s decision-making.
This is not just a backward look. The UK and Ireland are set to stage Euro 2028, while the UK is also due to host the Women’s World Cup in 2035. Those events underline the region’s pulling power, even if the men’s World Cup continues to feel out of reach.
The next question is whether Burnham’s broadside remains a talking point or becomes part of a louder push for reform before the next major hosting cycle comes into view.