UEFA, Concacaf and AFC accuse FIFA of ‘fundamental breach of trust’ over World Cup sell-off

• UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation have accused FIFA of a “fundamental breach of trust” over its abandoned plan to sell a stake in the World Cup.
• The three confederations have called for an independent review of the proposal and its handling by FIFA.
• Initial discussions have also taken place over organising alternative competitions as pressure continues to build on Gianni Infantino ahead of next year’s FIFA presidential election.

UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation have accused FIFA of a “fundamental breach of trust” and “deception” over its handling of plans to sell a stake in the World Cup, escalating the crisis surrounding president Gianni Infantino.

In an open letter addressed to the wider football community on Monday, the three confederations questioned the conduct of FIFA’s leadership and said the episode had raised serious concerns over the governance of the sport.

The statement, signed by the presidents of UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC, said the issue went beyond the abandoned proposal itself and concerned the relationship between FIFA and the organisations responsible for football across their respective regions.

“Leadership in football is not a possession,” the statement said. “It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.”

The confederations accused FIFA of allowing the process surrounding FIFA Forward Enterprise to progress without sufficient consultation or scrutiny.

“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 statement said.

The Press Association understands that UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC have also held preliminary discussions about organising competitions independently as the dispute with FIFA continues.

The discussions are understood to be focused on protecting meaningful competition for players and national teams should the relationship between the confederations and FIFA deteriorate further.

UEFA governs football in Europe, Concacaf oversees the sport across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, while the AFC is responsible for football in Asia.

UEFA had previously threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, in opposition to Infantino’s proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial company intended to oversee FIFA’s tournament operations.

The plan included the proposed sale of approximately 20 percent of the company to private investors.

Infantino later apologised for the proposal and withdrew the project following widespread opposition from football associations and confederations.

The three confederations have nevertheless called for a full independent investigation into how the proposal was developed and presented.

They rejected the idea that the controversy could be treated as a simple procedural mistake.

“A proposal advanced on a compressed timeline, without meaningful consultation, and pushed toward a deadline before member associations could properly review its terms is not the product of an oversight,” the letter said. “It is the product of a design intended to limit scrutiny.”

The confederations also criticised FIFA’s plan to present its own report on the episode to the FIFA Council.

They argued that an investigation conducted by FIFA itself would fail to provide the independence required after what they described as a serious failure of judgment.

“The FIFA administration should play no role in conducting the review,” the letter said.

The statement did not directly call for Infantino to resign.

The Press Association understands that the three confederations would prefer to give the FIFA president an opportunity to leave his position voluntarily rather than seek another term when FIFA members vote in March.

The dispute has nevertheless placed Infantino’s leadership under greater scrutiny only months before the presidential election.

The three confederations said FIFA’s response had failed to provide the accountability they expected from the organisation’s leadership.

“There is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness,” they said. “These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership.”

The proposal to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise had threatened to fracture relations between FIFA and several of its most powerful continental confederations.

UEFA’s 55 member associations had previously agreed to oppose the plan, while Concacaf and the AFC also rejected the proposal.

The abandoned project would have created a commercial structure with private investment and influence over the operation of major FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

The confederations now want FIFA to address how the proposal reached the point of being presented to member associations before it was withdrawn.

“That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve,” the statement said.

“Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”