Three major confederations demand independent review after Infantino’s failed privatisation push.
European football’s governing body and two powerful allies issued a joint open letter Monday that keeps the pressure on FIFA President Gianni Infantino. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf accused FIFA leadership of deception and a fundamental breach of trust over the abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.
The letter, posted by UEFA on X and published on its official site, does not name Infantino directly. Yet its language leaves little doubt. “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 presidents and general secretaries wrote.
They reject FIFA’s framing of the episode as a mere communication failure. The confederations call the attempt to sell an interest in the World Cup “a profound failure of judgement” and demand a fully independent review. FIFA’s own administration, they insist, must play no role. All relevant documents must be preserved.
From Boycott Threat to Open Letter
This latest statement continues a rapid escalation that began in late July. FIFA floated the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, which would have created a commercial subsidiary and opened the door to private equity investment in the World Cup and other major competitions. UEFA’s 55 member associations responded with a unanimous vote to boycott all FIFA competitions until the proposal was fully abandoned and binding assurances given that private ownership would never return.
We covered that decisive vote in detail: UEFA Unanimously Votes to Boycott FIFA Competitions Over World Cup Private Equity Plan.
Days later FIFA retreated. Infantino announced the FFE project would not proceed, citing the divisions it had created. Our report on the climbdown is here: FIFA Cancels FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) After Widespread Backlash.
UEFA welcomed the withdrawal but made clear the damage to trust remained. We reported its response the same day: UEFA Responds to FIFA Dropping FFE After Backlash.
Monday’s open letter shows that retreat has not restored confidence. The three confederations also criticised a recent FIFA leadership meeting in Morocco. According to the letter, only one elected official attended while no FIFA Council members or member associations were invited. They describe the gathering as further evidence of a pattern of closed decision-making.
The letter stresses that the dispute is not about money or revisiting past collective decisions on World Cup expansion and hosting. It is about governance and integrity. “Leadership in football is not a possession,” the signatories wrote. “It is a duty of service.”
Football’s continental powers have drawn a clear line. The World Cup is not for sale, and they intend to hold FIFA’s leadership to that principle.
An open letter to the football family from AFC, CONCACAF and UEFA: ⬇️https://t.co/8sjedkOyJA pic.twitter.com/OvskyoggYv
— UEFA (@UEFA) August 10, 2026
AI Disclosure: This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools and was reviewed and edited by the Glowls News editorial team before publication.