Infantino Blasted for ‘Deception’ by FIFA Vice Presidents

On Monday, the leaders of FIFA's European, North American, and Asian soccer bodies issued a scathing joint statement accusing FIFA president Gianni Infantino of "deception" for his failed proposal to commercialize the World Cup with outside investors, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The statement, signed by the presidents of each confederation and their general secretaries, argues that Infantino's actions amount to a "fundamental breach of trust" with the institutions FIFA exists to serve.

The criticism comes in the wake of FFE's demise and ahead of Infantino's attempt to seek reelection as FIFA president in March. The joint letter also blasts FIFA's communication in the aftermath of FFE's failure, accusing the governing body of "fearmongering." The three confederation presidents, who also serve as FIFA vice presidents, allege that FIFA only invited one elected official to a meeting in Morocco and that the review of FFE should be conducted by a third party, not FIFA itself.

While the continental leaders aren't necessarily speaking on behalf of all their member associations, a significant number of them have already reaffirmed their support for Infantino. Notably, U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson has not yet committed to backing Infantino, stating that the federation's board will discuss the matter at its upcoming meeting in September.