UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have launched a stinging attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino, accusing him of a “fundamental breach of trust” over his reported plans to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup.In an open letter to the “football family” released on Monday, the three confederations said the controversy was not about money or previously agreed competition decisions, but about the integrity of football’s governing structures and those elected to lead them.The letter came after Infantino faced intense backlash over a proposal to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to private equity investors. UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC have opposed the plan, while UEFA had threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions by its 55 member associations if the proposal was not scrapped.
‘A profound failure of judgment’
The three confederations stressed that the growth of football over the past decade had been a collective achievement involving FIFA, the confederations, member associations and thousands of people working across the sport.“This is not about money,” they said, arguing that FIFA’s existing reserves should instead be responsibly distributed to strengthen investment in member associations.The confederations said their opposition was also not about changing World Cup allocations, tournament expansion or other decisions that had already been collectively agreed.“This is about something more fundamental: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it,” the letter said.They accused FIFA of treating the controversy as a communication failure rather than a leadership and governance issue.“FIFA’s recent letter to its Vice-Presidents and 211 Member Associations acknowledges that mistakes were made in the process. It treats this as a failure of communication, when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment,” they said.The confederations further claimed that the proposal had been advanced on a compressed timeline without meaningful consultation and pushed towards a deadline before member associations could properly examine its terms.“It did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong. There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment — not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve,” the letter stated.
‘Football deserves leadership that serves’
The confederations also questioned FIFA’s decision to conduct its own review of the episode, calling instead for an independent third-party investigation.They pointed to a FIFA meeting in Morocco, saying only one elected official was present and that no FIFA Council members or member associations were invited to participate.“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” the letter said.The statement concluded with a call for unity and leadership that serves football rather than seeks to control it.
FIFA backs Infantino amid pressure
FIFA has defended Infantino against what it described as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine his leadership. FIFA said critics should not seek to remove the president through “allegation, insinuation or misinformation” rather than established democratic processes.Infantino received backing from FIFA’s management board after a meeting in Morocco last Wednesday and apologised over the process surrounding the World Cup proposal. UEFA, however, said the announcement “changes nothing” regarding its opposition to the plan.Separately, FIFA has also faced scrutiny over a report concerning a departure payment made by UEFA to a female staff member who worked with Infantino when he was UEFA general secretary. UEFA confirmed the payment was made in line with regulations at the time, while noting that its rules have since been tightened.
