The English Football Association is reportedly “looking into” recent comments made by Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe over immigrants in the United Kingdom.
During a televised interview with Sky News on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the INEOS billionaire claimed the country was being “colonised by immigrants” and linked rising migration levels to economic instability.
“You can’t have an economy with nine-million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he said. “I mean, the UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money.
“The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it? I mean, the population of the UK was 58m in 2020, now it’s 70m. That’s 12 million people.”
However, Ratcliffe came under fire immediately over his comments on immigrants in the UK.
These remarks triggered a wave of condemnation from political figures and anti-discrimination groups.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the comments as “offensive and wrong.” Downing Street issued a statement urging the 73-year-old businessman to apologize, suggesting his rhetoric “plays into the hands of those who want to divide our country.”
Compounding the woes of the Manchester United co-owner, the English FA’s regulatory and legal teams are said to be currently reviewing the transcript of the interview.
Under FA Rule E3, participants are required to act in the best interests of the game and not bring it into disrepute. Should the governing body decide that Ratcliffe’s language crossed the line into discriminatory or inflammatory territory, a formal investigation could be launched, potentially leading to fines or warnings.
The rule states: “A participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and shall not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour.”
Rule E3.2 states that a breach of Rule E3.1 would be considered an “aggravated breach” where it includes a reference, whether express or implied, to any one or more of the following – ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality, religion or belief, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, or disability.
Ratcliffe, as a club co-owner, is subject to FA rules as a participant.
Following the widespread outcry, Ratcliffe issued a “heavily qualified” apology on Thursday over his comments on immigrants in the UK.
Ratcliffe said: “I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.
“My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills, and manufacturing in the UK.
“I intended to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry, and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by everyone. We must maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK.”
The Premier League did not wish to comment when approached by Sky Sports News on Wednesday evening.
In the wake of Ratcliffe’s apology, Manchester United also released a statement saying the club “prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming club” before noting that “equality, diversity and inclusion” has been embedded into everything the club does.
Without mentioning Ratcliffe by name, the Old Trafford club said:
“Our diverse group of players, staff, and global community of supporters reflects the history and heritage of Manchester, a city that anyone can call home.
“Manchester United reflects the unity and resilience of all the communities we are so privileged to represent.
“We will continue to represent our people, our city, and our fans with purpose and pride.”
