Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has slammed FIFA president Gianni Infantino's aborted plan to sell a 21% stake in World Cup commercial rights, calling it a "self-inflicted wound" that has "pressed the self-destruct button". The proposal for Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) faced widespread opposition from confederations including Uefa, which threatened to boycott all Fifa competitions. Masters backed the English FA's withdrawal of support for Infantino and called for a "unity candidate" to challenge him in the March presidential election.

He criticized Fifa's lack of a clear red card review process, citing the controversial suspension of Folarin Balogun's World Cup ban after intervention from President Trump. Regarding domestic matters, Masters defended Chelsea's £10m fine for historic agent payment breaches as distinct from Profitability and Sustainability Rules violations. He also acknowledged delays in the Manchester City financial case outcome.

Looking ahead to the new Premier League season, Masters noted a "changing of the guard" with nine new managers but remained confident in the league's global appeal, citing that nearly half of the world's top 100 players compete in England.