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UEFA, AFC, CONCACAF lash Infantino for World Cup scheme
Reuters • August 10th, 2026 10:22 pm
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has come under more pressure from three powerful football confederations | Photo: AP
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF have issued an open letter attacking FIFA President Gianni Infantino over his conduct during the proposed sale of a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup.
Stopping just short of openly calling for new leadership, the statement said Infantino had broken trust "through deception" with the now abandoned proposal, and had "placed himself above the collective".
The three confederations also called for a fully independent review of the case.
"Football's strength has always been its unity," their open letter said.
"We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it."
Infantino, seen with US President Donald Trump, has faced a huge backlash since the World Cup | Photo: AP
The Swiss Infantino has faced open revolt since he proposed and then - after a fierce backlash - abandoned a plan to carve off the commercial rights to the World Cup and sell 20 per cent of them to private investors to raise some $US4.2 billion ($NZ7.1 billion).
UEFA, backed by the AFC and CONCACAF, which runs football in the Caribbean, North and Central America, have threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments until they receive a promise no similar schemes will ever be proposed.
"Leadership in football is not a possession," they said in Monday's statement. "It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.
"When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned."
The three confederations also criticised a FIFA emergency meeting in Morocco last week, saying there was only one elected official present, while also calling for an independent review to determine what led to this "profound failure of judgement".
On Friday, Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) President Lise Klaveness, a critic and potential replacement for Infantino, called on the 56-year-old to step down from the presidency immediately.
Infantino faced an open revolt at a FIFA meeting in Morocco in early August | Photo: AP
After quelling in-house dissent at the emergency meeting on Wednesday, FIFA apologised to the 211 federations as Infantino rallied his support among the six confederations that make up the world governing body.
Africa's confederation CAF released a statement on behalf of its 54 members backing Infantino on Thursday, with CONCACAF member Mexico following suit along with South American countries Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador and Bolivia.
On Friday, as Infantino attended the inauguration of Colombia's new president Abelardo De La Espriella in Cali, FIFA released a blistering attack on critics of its president.
It warned against a "concerted and ongoing effort" to undermine Infantino, saying attempts to challenge his leadership must follow the governing body's protocols.
FIFA's statement came after reports by Britain's Daily Telegraph about payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Infantino's time as the European governing body's general secretary, allegations he has denied and that FIFA has rejected as unfounded.
Almost 70 of FIFA's 211 member associations have said publicly they will vote for Infantino, with around a dozen either withdrawing previously promised support or saying they will not vote for him.
