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FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing mounting pressure after UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf jointly accused FIFA of breaching trust and making a serious error in its plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights.
In an unusually strong joint statement, football’s governing bodies from Europe, Asia and North America said their confidence in FIFA’s leadership had been undermined by the way the proposal was handled. They rejected FIFA’s description of the controversy as merely a “failure of communication”, arguing that it represented a much deeper failure of judgment.
The three confederations said football was not the property of any individual or organisation but belonged collectively to players, supporters, clubs, member associations and institutions responsible for protecting the sport’s future.
They acknowledged the progress made in football over the past decade but stressed that such achievements were the result of collective efforts by FIFA, the confederations, national associations and thousands of people involved in the sport.
The organisations said decisions including the expansion of tournaments, the selection of hosts for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups and the distribution of resources among member associations had been achieved through joint decision-making.
The dispute, they said, was not primarily about money. The confederations have called for responsible use of FIFA’s substantial reserves to increase investment in the development of member associations.
Instead, they argued that the controversy was fundamentally about the integrity of football’s governance and the integrity of those entrusted with leading the sport.
“Football leadership is not personal property,” the statement said, stressing that holding a leadership position should be regarded as a responsibility and a service to the football community rather than an opportunity to consolidate power.
The confederations strongly criticised the process through which the World Cup commercial proposal was introduced. They said FIFA’s recent letter to member associations and vice-presidents acknowledged mistakes but characterised them as a communication problem.
According to the confederations, however, the episode represented a “failure of judgment” because the proposal was reportedly advanced within a short timeframe without adequate consultation and before member associations had sufficient opportunity to review the relevant rules.
They also said FIFA had failed to acknowledge that the proposal itself was fundamentally flawed, particularly the attempt to sell part of the World Cup’s commercial interests.
The three confederations called for a full and independent review of the episode by an external third party. They said the review should not be conducted by FIFA, its employees or any organisation directly involved in football governance.
They also questioned a recent leadership meeting in Morocco, saying only one elected official attended and that neither FIFA Council members nor member associations were invited. Instead, the meeting was attended by a management committee made up of senior FIFA employees.
The confederations said the decision to hold the meeting abroad with only selected members of the management team further increased their concerns about transparency and accountability.
They also urged the preservation of all relevant documents and records in line with UEFA’s instructions.
The joint statement was signed by AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Concacaf President Victor Montagliani, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John, Concacaf General Secretary Philippe Moggio and UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis.
The statement marks one of the strongest collective challenges yet to Infantino’s leadership, with UEFA, AFC and Concacaf calling for a model of governance that serves football rather than seeks to control it.
