FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing mounting opposition after three major continental football confederations accused the world governing body of undermining confidence through what they described as deceptive conduct.
UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) issued a joint letter expressing serious concern over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, saying the dispute goes beyond the proposed commercial arrangement and raises wider questions about FIFA’s leadership and governance.
The FFE proposal envisaged establishing a new entity to oversee commercial and ticketing operations for FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.
Under the plan, a 21 percent stake would have been transferred to a private investment firm.
The proposal was withdrawn following strong resistance from several football confederations, with UEFA emerging as its most vocal critic and warning that European teams could refuse to participate in FIFA competitions.
According to reports, preliminary conversations have also taken place among the three confederations about the possibility of creating alternative competitions if Infantino continues as FIFA president.
Although the joint statement did not directly call for Infantino’s resignation, sources indicated that it was intended to increase pressure on him to step down voluntarily.
The organisations argued that FIFA’s handling of the FFE proposal represented a serious failure of responsibility, particularly because the World Cup’s commercial interests were considered for partial sale to outside investors.
They also rejected FIFA’s acknowledgement of errors during the process, arguing that the explanation did not adequately address what they regarded as a fundamental governance failure.
The confederations further criticised Infantino for convening a meeting of FIFA’s management board in Rabat, Morocco, last Wednesday without involving FIFA Council members or national associations.
Instead, only senior FIFA employees were reportedly invited.
The dispute escalated after FIFA released a statement on Saturday accusing unnamed parties of conducting a sustained campaign aimed at weakening the organisation and damaging Infantino’s reputation.
The three confederations said FIFA’s plan to submit an internal report to the next Council meeting, expected in October, was insufficient.
They called instead for an independent investigation by an external body.
UEFA has also warned FIFA against destroying, removing or altering any records connected to the abandoned FFE project, adding another dimension to the dispute.
Despite the growing disagreement, neither CONCACAF nor the AFC has formally pledged to join a boycott of FIFA tournaments.
Support for Infantino also remains evident among some of their members.
Mexico, one of CONCACAF’s leading football nations, publicly backed the FIFA president last week.
Within the AFC, eight countries, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Kuwait, Mongolia, the Philippines and Bhutan, have also expressed support for him.
The first major indication of whether UEFA’s boycott threat will materialise could come within weeks, when the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup begins in Poland.
The tournament includes England and four other European teams.
France has already indicated that it intends to participate despite the dispute.
The three confederations concluded their joint appeal by stressing that football’s influence depends on collective unity and called for a governing structure that prioritises the interests of the sport rather than the concentration of power.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong