Dhaka: Soccer authorities in Europe, North and Central America and the Caribbean, and Asia have accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of a “fundamental breach of trust” over his recently abandoned plan to sell an interest in the World Cup to private equity investors.
According to United News of Bangladesh, UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC released an “open letter to the football family” on Monday, expressing that breaking trust through deception and placing an individual above the collective represented a failure of duty. This letter was signed by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, AFC President Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani, and the general secretaries of the three continental governing bodies.
UEFA governs soccer in Europe, CONCACAF oversees the sport in North, Central America and the Caribbean, while the AFC is the governing body for Asian soccer. The letter emphasized that football is a shared passion belonging to players, fans, clubs, member associations, and institutions responsible for its future. It criticized Infantino for what they perceived as conduct unbecoming of a custodian of the game.
The statement follows Infantino’s growing opposition after the failure of his plan to involve private equity in the World Cup. UEFA had previously threatened to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions, despite FIFA abandoning the plan and apologizing for the controversy. Additionally, Norway’s soccer federation has called for Infantino’s resignation, and England’s Football Association has withdrawn its support for his re-election next March.
Amidst this opposition, Infantino received support from U.S. President Donald Trump, who defended him in a social media post. Trump praised Infantino for his leadership and warned FIFA against considering his replacement.
Last Wednesday, FIFA apologized for mistakes related to the failed plan and stated that senior officials at a crisis meeting in Morocco had reaffirmed their full support for Infantino’s presidency. However, UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC criticized the meeting, noting that only one elected official was present and that no FIFA Council members or Member Associations were invited.
The federations urged FIFA to acknowledge the controversy as a failure of judgment rather than a communication failure. They reiterated that the attempt to sell an interest in the World Cup represented a “fundamental breach of trust” with FIFA’s served institutions. In response, FIFA released a statement defending Infantino and denouncing the efforts to undermine his leadership as a “concerted and ongoing effort.”