UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf have accused FIFA of a “fundamental breach of trust” and “deception” over plans to sell a stake in a company overseeing the commercial and operational aspects of the World Cup. In a joint “open letter to the football family” issued Monday, the three confederations sharply criticized FIFA’s handling of the proposal, saying it raised fundamental questions about the integrity and governance of world football.
Although the letter did not directly name FIFA President Gianni Infantino, its criticism was clearly aimed at him. Infantino had proposed creating FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), with an option to sell around 20 percent of the company to private investors, reportedly including people linked to US President Donald Trump. Infantino has since apologized for the proposal, but UEFA, AFC and Concacaf said the controversy went beyond a simple failure of communication or procedure.
“This is about something more fundamental: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it,” the confederations said. Their unusually strong rebuke comes ahead of next March’s FIFA presidential election and could increase pressure on Infantino, while intensifying debate over FIFA’s transparency, commercial decisions and governance.
