UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC accuse Gianni Infantino of ‘deception’ over World Cup proposal

UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of "deception" over a World Cup-related proposal in an open letter published on 10 August 2026, calling for an independent review of the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan.

The joint letter, signed by the presidents and chief secretaries of UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC and explicitly naming Aleksander Čeferin, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa and Victor Montagliani, followed widespread disagreements over a commercial proposal advanced by Infantino, with opposition rising among a number of regional confederations, most notably UEFA. The statement framed the dispute as more than an administrative or commercial quarrel, saying it addressed "the core concepts that are meant to govern international football." The authors stressed collective responsibility for prior developments such as expanded tournaments and distribution of resources, adding that those decisions "were shared achievements, agreed together, delivered together."

The letter accused individual conduct of breaching the relationship between FIFA and the member confederations and declared: "This is about something more fundamental: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it." It argued leadership is a duty of service, quoting that "When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned."

Responding to a recent FIFA letter, the confederations said FIFA's communication "acknowledges that mistakes were made in the process" but rejected the framing of the issue as merely a communication failure. The joint letter stated: "It treats this as a failure of communication, when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment."

The signatories criticised the handling of the commercial proposal, saying it was advanced "on a compressed timeline, without meaningful consultation, and pushed toward a deadline before Member Associations could properly review its terms," and added that this approach "is not the product of an oversight – it is the product of a design intended to limit scrutiny." The letter further asserted: "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."

On the question of how to investigate the events, the confederations rejected an internal review conducted by FIFA alone. The letter noted that "FIFA has also committed to presenting a full report on these events to the FIFA Council" but insisted "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." It added: "The FIFA administration should play no role in conducting the review."

The joint statement also raised concerns about a recent leadership meeting in Morocco, saying "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." The confederations urged that "all relevant documents and records must be preserved in accordance with UEFA’s communication on preservation of documents."

The letter concluded by invoking unity and collective responsibility, stating "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," and calling for "leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it." It formally demanded an independent review of FIFA Forward Enterprise and the preservation of records, while confirming FIFA has committed to present a full report to the FIFA Council.