UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF accuse FIFA's Infantino of deception in open letter over withdrawn World Cup investment plan

Three confederations publish joint open letter

On 10 August 2026, UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF published a joint open letter to the "football family" sharply criticising FIFA president Gianni Infantino over his withdrawn plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights of FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, to private investors. The letter was signed by the presidents and secretaries general of all three confederations: Aleksander Ceferin and Theodore Theodoridis (UEFA), Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa and Datuk Seri Windsor John (AFC), and Victor Montagliani and Philippe Moggio (CONCACAF). Although Infantino is not named in the letter, its references to deception, broken trust and an individual placing himself above the collective are directed at him.

The confederations frame the conflict as a matter of governance integrity rather than finance. They write that the dispute is not about money, nor about revisiting collective decisions such as the expansion of competitions or the distribution of World Cup places. They also reject what they describe as alarmist rhetoric suggesting member associations might lose support, stating they have no such intention.

"Error of judgment," not a "communication error"

The three confederations reject FIFA's characterisation of the failed investment proposal as a communication error. FIFA had sent a letter to its vice-presidents and 211 member associations acknowledging mistakes in how the plan was handled, but framing them as procedural. The confederations insist the proposal itself was fundamentally wrong.

A proposal that was pushed forward in a severely compressed timeframe, developed without serious consultation, and driven to a deadline before the member associations could adequately review its terms, is not the result of an oversight, but an expression of a deliberate approach to restrict scrutiny.

The letter describes the attempt to sell a 20% stake in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, as a "profound error of judgment" and accuses FIFA of violating the trust of the institutions it is obliged to serve.

Demands for independent review and criticism of FIFA process

The confederations demand that the report Infantino has promised on the affair be prepared by a fully independent third party, not by FIFA itself. They also criticise an emergency meeting FIFA organised in Morocco, which was attended only by members of the FIFA board. The FIFA Council, which includes members elected by the continental confederations, was not invited, nor were the confederations themselves or the 211 member associations.

That is not the behaviour of a guardian of the sport, but of someone who believes that the sport must answer to him.

UEFA had previously threatened a boycott of all FIFA competitions in response to the investment plan. That boycott remains on the table until guarantees are provided that similar plans will not resurface. The AFC and CONCACAF rejected the FIFA plan but have not moved to a boycott.

Calls for new leadership

The open letter acknowledges what it calls the "real growth" of FIFA and football in recent years but insists this success was never the work of a single individual. The confederations call for "leadership that serves football, not that tries to command it" and appeal for the unity of the sport to be respected. They also reiterate their call for responsible distribution of FIFA's existing reserves to strengthen investment in member association development.

Infantino withdrew the investment plan after widespread opposition and apologised for the decision-making process. He remains in office as FIFA president.