UEFA, AFC, CONCACAF hit out at Infantino over World Cup privatisation plan

UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and CONCACAF have joined forces to criticize FIFA president Gianni Infantino following his controversial plan to sell stakes in the men's World Cup to private investors. The three confederations have held preliminary discussions about organizing their own competitions to distance themselves from the unfolding crisis at FIFA.

UEFA, in particular, has threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, making this move to ensure players under their jurisdiction have meaningful opportunities to compete. Infantino apologized for his proposal, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which aimed to run the commercial and operational aspects of FIFA's tournaments and potentially sell around 20% to private investors.

In an open letter, the leaders of UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF urged FIFA to hold an independent review of Infantino's scheme, emphasizing that leadership in football is a duty of service to the football family, not a possession or a means to hold power. They criticized the compressed timeline, lack of meaningful consultation, and rushed nature of the proposal, calling it a design intended to limit scrutiny.

The letter also highlighted that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a fundamental breach of trust with the institutions FIFA exists to serve. FIFA has agreed to present a full report on these events to the FIFA Council, but the confederations emphasized that the review should be conducted by a fully independent third party, not by FIFA, its staff, or any stakeholder within football.

The leaders of UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF stated that this stance was not taken lightly and was made together, out of duty to the game they serve, emphasizing that football's strength lies in its unity.