The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), CONCACAF and UEFA have called for an independent review of a controversial proposal involving an interest in the FIFA World Cup, citing serious concerns over FIFA’s handling of the matter.
In a joint letter released on August 10, the three confederations said FIFA’s explanation of the issue as a failure of communication did not address what they considered a failure of judgment.
FIFA and president Gianni Infantino have faced criticism since Infantino proposed, then abandoned, a plan to sell a 20% stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup to private investors for about $4.2 billion.
The confederations said the proposal was advanced on a compressed timeline, without meaningful consultation, and pushed towards a deadline before FIFA Member Associations had enough time to properly assess it.
They also criticised FIFA for failing to acknowledge that the proposal itself was inappropriate, describing the attempt to sell an interest in the World Cup as a serious breach of trust with its Member Associations.
While FIFA has committed to presenting a report on the matter to the FIFA Council, AFC, CONCACAF and UEFA called for the review to be conducted by a fully independent third party.
They said the process should not be led by FIFA staff or any other football stakeholder to ensure its independence and credibility.
The three confederations also questioned the composition of a recent leadership meeting in Morocco, noting that only one elected official was present and that neither FIFA Council members nor Member Associations were invited.
They called for all documents and records related to the matter to be preserved as part of the review.
The confederations stressed that their concerns are not about FIFA’s finances, World Cup allocations or the expansion of competitions.
They said those decisions were reached collectively and should remain in place. Instead, they said the issue centres on governance, transparency and accountability within FIFA leadership.
“Football leadership is not a possession,” the confederations said. “It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.”
