UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF accuse FIFA president of self-interest over World Cup stake proposal

The European (UEFA), Asian (AFC), and North, Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) football confederations have issued a joint statement accusing FIFA president Gianni Infantino of undermining trust through what they described as deception, following his proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.

In an open letter to the football community, the three continental bodies emphasized that "leadership is not ownership, nor is it about retaining or claiming power," stressing that football "does not belong to any individual."

The confederations stated that the loss of trust resulting from deception and putting personal interests above the collective amounts to an abandonment of duty, referring to Infantino's actions.

Legal escalation despite FIFA's reversal

UEFA has maintained its stance of boycotting FIFA competitions, including the World Cups, despite FIFA announcing the withdrawal of its plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights to its tournaments.

UEFA also threatened legal action against FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino, marking a new escalation in the crisis that erupted after the proposal to sell around a 20% stake in a new commercial entity managing FIFA's tournament rights was revealed.

Background to the crisis

FIFA president Gianni Infantino had announced the cancellation of plans to sell a World Cup stake to private investors after a wave of negative reactions. The plan aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling a stake in a new unit managing FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.

FIFA's proposal, first presented last Tuesday, was met with widespread opposition from major continental football confederations.