Three Confederations Join Forces Against Infantino
UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC issued an unprecedented joint statement, accusing the FIFA president of deception and breach of trust after the failed plan to sell World Cup stakes.
UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC issued an unprecedented joint statement, accusing the FIFA president of deception and breach of trust after the failed plan to sell World Cup stakes.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing the most serious crisis of his tenure after three of football's most powerful confederations issued a joint statement accusing him of deception and a fundamental breach of trust. The move by UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC, announced on August 10, 2026, sets a precedent in the sports world and has seriously shaken Infantino's position ahead of the elections for a new head of the world football organization in March 2027.
The crisis escalated after the revelation of Infantino's secret plan to establish a new company called "FIFA Forward Enterprise" (FFE). According to the British Daily Telegraph, FIFA's commercial operations would be spun off into this company, with a 21 percent stake sold to private investors for $4.2 billion. The main investor was to be a New York-based firm linked to Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, who is the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Infantino gave member associations a deadline of September 19 to accept the plan, offering each of the 211 associations a payout of $20 million. UEFA called the plan a "non-transparent deal struck behind closed doors" and threatened a complete boycott of all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. CONCACAF and AFC expressed "deep concern over the lack of due process and the artificially short deadline."
In an open letter signed by the presidents of AFC, Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa; CONCACAF, Victor Montagliani; and UEFA, Aleksander Čeferin, along with the general secretaries Datuk Seri Windsor John, Philippe Moggio, and Theodore Theodoridis, the message is clear: football "does not belong to any individual or institution."
"When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places themselves above the collective that entrusted them with power, that duty has been abandoned," the statement reads.
The three confederations rejected Infantino's claims that it was a communication failure, calling the entire process "designed to limit the possibility of oversight." Particularly criticized was a FIFA leadership meeting in Morocco where only one elected official was present, while FIFA Council members were not invited.
"This is not the behavior of a guardian of the game, but of someone who believes football answers to him," the joint statement says.
Pressure on Infantino has been intensified by a Daily Telegraph report alleging a six-figure payout to a former UEFA employee with whom Infantino allegedly had an intimate relationship while he was the organization's general secretary. UEFA confirmed the payment, stating it was "in accordance with regulations," while Infantino, through a spokesperson, "categorically denied these false allegations."
FIFA issued a statement claiming there is an "orchestrated and continuous effort to undermine FIFA and its president." However, the three confederations insist that the investigation into the entire case must be conducted by a "fully independent third party," not by FIFA itself or its employees.
"The strength of football has always been in its unity. We call for that unity to be respected now and for leadership that serves football, not leadership that seeks to command it," UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC conclude.
Infantino's term runs until 2027, with elections for a new president to serve until 2031 scheduled for March next year. The situation in world football increasingly resembles the scandals that brought down former president Sepp Blatter.
