Jonathan Wilson

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3,871 appearances 25 recordings 7 series first heard Oct 2025 last heard 1 Sep

Jonathan Wilson’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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Football Weekly · Football Weekly’s summer mailbag: World Cup 2026, the off-season and more: part one · 27 Jul 2026 podcast

I mean, the problem with FIFA is, I mean, manifold.

But the reason why it's so resistant to reform is that the delegates who vote for Gianni Infantino, a lot of them benefit from that relationship.

That if you're on a FIFA committee and FIFA committees in 2024, there is a vote to expand the number of FIFA committees from seven to thirty five.

And if you're on a FIFA committee, you get your salary, you get a stipend and you get expenses, which are pretty generous.

And if you're enjoying that, then you're never going to vote against a president who allows that to happen.

So I think the only challenge really can come from UEFA.

I don't think it'll come from this UEFA.

I don't think Alexander Sheffrin really has the stomach for the fight.

But realistically, if you had a World Cup without any of the top European teams, and if they could hive off Brazil, Argentina, and then possibly take Japan, South Korea, US, Mexico, then you don't really have much left.

But you'd have to have a very strong constituency there who wanted reform.

And what we've seen, when the Balogun decision happened and UEFA came out and condemned it,

There were only four European associations who backed that up.

So maybe it was five.

It was Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and Norway.

Was there anybody else?

So maybe it was just four.

And the English FA didn't because the FA is looking to host the Women's World Cup in 2035 and the decision will be announced in November.

It doesn't want to scupper that.

And I think they've probably got their eye on a bid for the World Cup in either 2038 or 2042, depending on the regulations.

So again, they don't want to make an enemy of Infantino now.

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