UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF have intensified their criticisms of Infantino regarding the unsuccessful proposal for the sale of World Cup stakes
Three of FIFA’s six confederations released an open letter on Monday addressed to the “football family,” criticizing Gianni Infantino’s actions regarding the proposed sale of a stake in World Cup commercial rights and urging for leadership that prioritizes the interests of the game.
The letter, co-signed by the presidents of UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF, requested an independent review of the now-abandoned proposal and stated that Infantino had broken trust “through deception” and “placed himself above the collective.”
The strength of football has always been its unity,” it read. We urge that unity be respected at this moment, advocating for leadership that supports football rather than attempting to dominate it.
The Swiss administrator has encountered significant backlash in the two weeks following his proposal and subsequent withdrawal of a plan to separate the commercial rights to the World Cup and sell 20% of them to private investors in order to generate approximately $4.2 billion.
Sources familiar with the drafting of the letter indicated that the three confederations saw it as a chance for Infantino, who is aiming for reelection in March next year, to step down while maintaining his dignity.
The European body UEFA, supported by Asia’s AFC and CONCACAF, which oversees football in the Caribbean, North, and Central America, has issued a warning of a potential boycott of FIFA tournaments unless they are assured that no similar schemes will be suggested in the future.
The three confederations are exploring the potential for hosting competitions among themselves to provide players with opportunities to compete during the ongoing crisis with FIFA, according to sources. “Leadership in football is not a possession,” the confederations stated in a release on Monday. It is not about possessing—or insisting on—power to be possessed. It is a responsibility to the football community that has placed its trust in us. “When trust is shattered by deceit, when one person elevates themselves above the collective that granted them authority, that responsibility has been forsaken.
Independent Review
Criticism was directed at a FIFA emergency meeting held in Morocco last week, highlighting that only one elected official was in attendance. Additionally, there were calls for an independent review, free from FIFA’s involvement, to assess the factors that contributed to this “profound failure of judgment.
U.S. Soccer and Canada Soccer, co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico, have united with the Caribbean Football Union and the Central American Football Union to advocate for significant reforms, emphasizing the necessity for FIFA to implement “meaningful” changes. In a statement, they expressed, “(We) stand together, along with our colleagues around the world, in calling for meaningful change that strengthens FIFA’s governance, transparency, and accountability.
U.S. President Donald Trump later took to social media to express his strong support for Infantino. “FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” he stated. “He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he departs, it will never reach the same level of success or profitability again.
The endorsement may not prove to be particularly effective, especially considering the close association between Trump and Infantino during the World Cup in June and July, which raised concerns among many in the sport.
Those concerns grew when a company owned by the brother of Trump’s son-in-law surfaced as a significant player in the contentious stake-sale plan. Trump stated that he had not talked about the plan with Infantino.
Despite the resistance from the three confederations, which account for 136 of the 211 member associations eligible to vote in the FIFA presidential election in March, Infantino has numerous supporters within the sport.
Several AFC nations, along with Mexico from CONCACAF, have already expressed their support for him.
After addressing internal disagreements at the emergency FIFA meeting in Morocco last Wednesday, Infantino gathered his supporters before traveling to Colombia to attend the inauguration of new President Abelardo De La Espriella in Cali.
Africa’s confederation, CAF, issued a statement on behalf of its 54 members supporting Infantino on Thursday, with South American nations Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Bolivia also expressing their backing.
INTENSE ASSAULT
On Friday, FIFA issued a scathing rebuke to those who have criticized the president.
It cautioned about what it described as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine Infantino, stating that any attempts to contest his leadership must adhere to the governing body’s statutes and democratic procedures.
The statement resonated with those from various organizations that backed Infantino, along with one from the South American confederation CONMEBOL.
FIFA issued a statement following reports in The Daily Telegraph regarding payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Infantino’s tenure as the European governing body’s general secretary. Infantino has denied these allegations, which FIFA has also dismissed as unfounded.
Nearly 70 of FIFA’s member associations have publicly expressed their intention to vote for Infantino, who requires a two-thirds majority in the initial round of voting or a simple majority in later rounds to prolong his presidency until 2031.
Any ​rivals to Infantino have until November 18 to announce their candidature.
Infantino has expressed regret for the errors made during the stake sale proposal; however, the letter from the three confederations indicated that this was insufficient. “It did not recognize that the proposal itself was fundamentally flawed,” it stated. There is still a lack of acknowledgment that trying to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a significant error in judgment—not merely a procedural mistake, but a serious violation of trust with the very institutions that FIFA is meant to support.
