UEFA, AFC, CONCACAF accuse FIFA's Infantino of deception

Three continental football confederations — UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF — have issued a joint open letter accusing FIFA President Gianni Infantino of a "fundamental breach of trust" over his now-abandoned plan to sell a stake in the World Cup's commercial rights. The letter, signed by the presidents of the three bodies, stops short of explicitly calling for Infantino's resignation but declares that "when trust is broken through deception... that duty has been abandoned" Source: AP News. It also criticizes FIFA's apology as treating "a failure of judgment" as merely "a failure of communication" Source: Euronews.

The controversy began when FIFA proposed creating a subsidiary to sell up to 20% of the commercial rights to the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors, aiming to raise about $4.2 billion Source: Al Jazeera. The plan was withdrawn within days after widespread opposition, including a threat from UEFA to boycott FIFA competitions Source: CNN. The three confederations are now calling for a fully independent review of the episode, noting that only one elected official attended FIFA's crisis meeting in Morocco Source: Channel News Asia.

Infantino retains significant support. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has backed him, as have Mexico and several South American nations, including Argentina Source: DW. FIFA has dismissed the criticism as part of a "concerted and ongoing effort" to undermine its president, and has rejected allegations from The Daily Telegraph about a payment to a former UEFA employee during Infantino's time there Source: AP News. UEFA has confirmed the payment but says it was in line with regulations at the time Source: BBC.

The dispute has cast a shadow over Infantino's bid for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress in March 2027, though no clear challenger has yet emerged Source: Al Jazeera.