UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have accused FIFA of a “serious breach of trust” and “deceptive practices” regarding its plans to sell a stake in the World Cup, raising critical concerns about the integrity of football leadership.
In an “open letter to the football community” released on Monday, the three confederations criticized FIFA president Gianni Infantino, describing the situation as a “significant failure in judgment” and asserting that he behaves as if the sport must answer to him.
“This matter goes beyond individual actions; it concerns the integrity of the game and those elected to lead it,” read the joint statement signed by the leaders of the confederations.
“Leadership in football is not a privilege; it is about serving the football family that has entrusted it to you. When trust is violated through deception and an individual prioritizes personal interests over the collective, that duty is forfeited.”
Sources have indicated that the three confederations are also exploring the possibility of organizing competitions independently in light of the backlash against Infantino.
While they hope to allow Infantino to resign honorably and avoid seeking re-election in March, the confederations aim to protect themselves from the ongoing turmoil.
Additionally, U.S. Soccer, a member of Concacaf, issued a supportive statement regarding Concacaf’s stance.
“U.S. Soccer, Canada Soccer, CFU (Caribbean Football Union), and UNCAF (Central American Football Union) unite with our global counterparts in calling for meaningful reforms to enhance FIFA’s governance, transparency, and accountability,” the statement stated.
UEFA has previously warned about a potential boycott of FIFA events and is reported to have begun preliminary discussions with AFC and Concacaf about coordinating their own tournaments to ensure that players under their jurisdictions have opportunities to compete.
UEFA oversees football in Europe, Concacaf in North, Central America, and the Caribbean, while the AFC governs the sport across Asia.
Infantino has apologized for his proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company intended to manage FIFA’s tournaments’ commercial and operational aspects, which included plans to sell approximately 20% to private investors.
However, the letter called for an independent review of Infantino’s proposal without directly naming him.
“A proposal pushed forward under a tight timeline, lacking meaningful consultation and presented before member associations could properly evaluate its terms, is not an oversight but evidence of a design intended to limit scrutiny,” the letter asserted.
“It failed to acknowledge that the proposal itself was fundamentally flawed. There is no recognition that attempting to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup represents not just a procedural mistake, but an essential breach of trust with the very institutions that FIFA is meant to serve.”
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“FIFA has also committed to providing a comprehensive report on these events to the FIFA Council, yet again failing to recognize that genuine governance in light of such a significant lapse in judgment necessitates an independent third-party review, rather than one conducted by FIFA itself or any football stakeholder. The FIFA administration should have no role in this review.”
“There is silence where accountability is needed and distance where transparency is crucial. These qualities do not reflect what football deserves in its leadership.”
“We are making this stance not lightly and not alone, but together, out of our commitment to the game we represent. The strength of football has always been its unity, and we urge for that unity to be honored now, ensuring leadership that serves football, not commands it.”
Information from the Press Association has contributed to this report.