The three confederations harshly questioned the leader and the entity for the failed project to open part of the World Cup business to private investors and warned of a loss of trust
The political crisis at FIFAhas added a new and forceful chapter. UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF unified their positions and released a joint letter in which they harshly questioned the leadership of Gianni Infantino, demanded an independent investigation into the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise project (FFE), and warned that the conflict exceeds the commercial initiative that was ultimately withdrawn.
The document, signed by presidents Aleksander Čeferin (UEFA), Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC), and Víctor Montagliani (CONCACAF), marks a significant shift in the power map of FIFA. Until now, UEFA had been the main critical voice against Infantino, while AFC and CONCACAF maintained a less defined stance. The joint statement, however, shows the three confederations aligned in an institutional questioning of the president.
The leaders clarified that the dispute is not related to money or decisions already made regarding upcoming World Cups or the distribution of resources. "It is about something more fundamental: the integrity of the game and the integrity of those chosen to lead it", they stated.
UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF harshly questioned FIFA and Gianni Infantino
The focus of the controversy is on the FFE, an initiative that contemplated the creation of a company valued at around 20 billion dollars and the search for up to 4.2 billion through the sale of a minority stake to private capital. The project generated resistance among various sectors of world football and was ultimately withdrawn by FIFA after a crisis meeting in Rabat, Morocco.
After that summit, Infantino and the general secretary Mattias Grafström acknowledged that there were "errors" during the process and offered apologies for the way the proposal was handled. However, UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF consider that explanation insufficient.
"What football witnessed was a failure of judgment", the three confederations asserted. According to their interpretation, promoting a proposal of such magnitude "without significant consultation" and with accelerated timelines for member associations to analyze it was not simply a communication problem, but a behavior that "was intended to limit scrutiny".
The three confederations questioned the lack of criteria from both FIFA and Infantino regarding the FFE project
The questioning is not limited to the procedure used. The signatories believe that the very nature of the project represented an institutional problem and demand that FIFA recognize that attempting to sell a stake in the World Cup business constituted a "serious error in judgment" and a breach of the trust placed in the organization.
In this sense, one of the main demands points to the investigation announced by FIFA. The entity communicated that it will conduct a review and present its conclusions to the Council, but the three confederations insist that the process be placed in the hands of a completely independent third party. "The FIFA administration should not participate in conducting the review", they emphasized.
For its part, the crisis meeting in Rabat after the withdrawal of the FFE project is also under suspicion. UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF pointed out that, according to FIFA's own subsequent communication, neither Council members nor representatives of national associations participated. Only one elected official was present, while the rest of the attendees belonged to the entity's executive structure.
Gianni Infantino is losing the trust of various sectors of world football
"This only reinforces these concerns and represents a continuation of the same pattern of behavior that has brought us here", they warned. The criticism reached one of the harshest points of the document: "This is not the behavior of a custodian of football, but of someone who believes that football owes him accountability".
The three confederations also questioned the way FIFA exercised its authority during the crisis. "There is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness", they stated, before emphasizing that football leadership must be understood as a service and not as a means of accumulating power.
This offensive came after FIFA publicly defended Infantino and questioned the "attempts to undermine the democratic mandate" of the president, elected by the member federations. The organization had insisted that the leader continues to legitimately exercise his mandate.
In the midst of political chaos, Infantino will seek re-election
The dispute also takes on an electoral dimension. Infantino will seek a fourth term in the elections in March 2027 and, so far, he does not have a confirmed rival. The deadline for submitting candidacies is November 18. The formation of a bloc made up of UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF could change the scenario if a candidate willing to compete against the current president finally emerges.
Nevertheless, the board is not completely defined. The CAF (Africa) unanimously backed Infantino, while CONMEBOL (South America) also supported his candidacy, despite having rejected the FFE project. Additionally, some national federations, such as those of Argentina (AFA) and Mexico (FMF), also publicly expressed their support for the leader.
Therefore, the discussion is no longer solely about the commercial project that was withdrawn. The real conflict has been established around trust in Infantino and the way he exercises power within FIFA.
