UEFA, AFC & Concacaf accuse Gianni Infantino of ‘deception’ over World Cup plan

Infantino has come under massive heat over the past few weeks.

The growing feud engulfing FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, is becoming increasingly heated. Several of the continental confederations’ most senior leaders have made a sharply worded charge against the global football organisation, claiming that trust has been abused “through deception”.

It represents a new escalation that might pave the way for a larger battle over how international football is managed.

Infantino is now facing clear charges of breach of trust, as detailed in an open letter from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation. The step illustrates the extent of the escalating strain within the international body’s corridors.

Signed by the presidents and chief secretaries of UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC, the letter emphasised that the recent debate over the “FIFA Forward” project (FFE) plan is more than just an administrative or commercial disagreement. It addresses the core concepts that are meant to govern international football.

The signatories stressed that the issue boils down to “the integrity of the game, and the integrity of the people elected to lead it,” a clear reference to the necessity to maintain confidence between the organisation and the regional confederations, and the parties representing the many components of the sport.

Many federations sign letter to FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino

The letter followed widespread disagreements over a commercial proposal suggested by Infantino, with opposition rising among a number of regional confederations, most notably UEFA.

“Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the Member Associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future.”

“It is in that spirit, as confederations representing its members, that we speak collectively today.”

“The growth over the past decade has been real. But that progress was never the work of one individual. It was the product of FIFA, the Confederations, the Member Associations, and the thousands of people who dedicate their lives to the game.”

“The expanded tournaments, the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, the distribution of resources to associations. These were shared achievements, agreed together, delivered together.”

“This is not about money. The Confederations have already called for the responsible distribution of FIFA’s vast existing reserves to further strengthen investment in the development of Member Associations.”

“Nor is it about any Member Association losing the support it has earned, despite the fearmongering directed at our membership to suggest otherwise. Nor is it about revisiting the expansion of competitions, World Cup allocations, or any other decisions reached collectively. Those decisions were made together, and they must stand.”

“This is about something more fundamental: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it.”

“Leadership in football is not a possession. 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.

“FIFA’s recent letter to its Vice-Presidents and 211 Member Associations acknowledges that mistakes were made in the process. It treats this as a failure of communication, when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment.”

“A proposal advanced on a compressed timeline, without meaningful consultation, and pushed toward a deadline before Member Associations could properly review its terms is not the product of an oversight – it is the product of a design intended to limit scrutiny.”

“It did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong. There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment – not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.”

“FIFA has also committed to presenting a full report on these events to the FIFA Council, once again failing to recognize that proper governance in the face of such a profound lack of judgment would require that such a review be conducted by a fully independent third party, not by FIFA itself, its staff, or by any stakeholder within football.”

“The FIFA administration should play no role in conducting the review. As per previous correspondence, all relevant documents and records must be preserved in accordance with UEFA’s communication on preservation of documents.”

“FIFA’s own letter also confirms that only one elected official was present at the leadership meeting in Morocco. No FIFA Council members or Member Associations were invited to participate. Only the management committee, composed of FIFA-employed senior staff, was present.”

“This recent meeting, where a select number of members of the FIFA Management Committee – not the full Committee – were summoned abroad, rather than leadership going to Zurich to address the heart of FIFA, its staff, only reinforces these concerns and represents a continuation of the very pattern of conduct that brought us to this moment.”

“It is not the conduct of a custodian of the game, but of one who believes the game is answerable to him. There is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness.”

“These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve.”

“Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”

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