Three confederations reject selling part of the World Cup to private funds; Conmebol asks for explanations

The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) has requested additional information and clarification regarding FIFA's Forward Enterprise project, but has not taken a stance in favor or against it. This comes after Europe's UEFA and North and Central America's Concacaf both rejected the plan. A statement issued by Conmebol, based in Paraguay, requested details on the initiative's scope, structure, governance and potential effects, and has begun consulting its ten member associations.

Conmebol believes developing football should involve commercial and financial decisions, but such decisions must always serve the game and not override its essence. The confederation vowed to proceed with caution and through official channels, and called for unity among football associations. This contrasts with UEFA and Concacaf's positions, which outright rejected the proposal.

The Asian Football Confederation expressed solidarity with both of these stances on Friday. Additionally, Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, resigned from his position, stating he had no involvement in drafting the proposal and unequivocally opposes it, calling it a bad deal for football. FIFA maintains the project does not involve selling football or ceding control of its governance, and holds full control over the new company.

The controversy is partly attributed to inaccurate media reports, and FIFA has offered to provide up to 24 million dollars in development funding per association. The vote on the proposal is set for September 19, requiring 106 votes in favor out of 211 associations.