Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who was first elected in 2016, is facing an unprecedented crisis as Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have formally accused the governing body and its leadership of breaking trust “through deception.”
The open letter, signed by the presidents and general secretaries of these three confederations, argues that the recent controversy surrounding the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal is fundamentally about “the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it.”
The FFE proposal would have established a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all Fifa competitions, including the World Cups, with 21% of the entity sold to a private investment firm. The plan was ultimately aborted following widespread criticism, led by Uefa, which has threatened a boycott of all Fifa tournaments.
“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” the letter stated. It further emphasized that leadership is a duty of service to the football family, not a possession or a tool to demand power.
While the statement does not explicitly name Infantino, sources said Sport that the message serves as an opportunity for him to resign and exit his position with dignity. This follows a statement from Fifa on Saturday that criticized a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine the organization and its president.
The confederations expressed frustration over a meeting Infantino held in Rabat, Morocco, last Wednesday. They criticized the decision to exclude Fifa council members and member associations, noting that only Fifa-employed senior staff were summoned to the discussions.
The letter argued that Fifa’s admission of mistakes regarding the FFE process was insufficient. “It did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong,” the signatories wrote. “There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the Fifa World Cup was a profound failure of judgement. Not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions Fifa exists to serve.”
Fifa has committed to presenting a report on the matter at the next Fifa council meeting, expected in October. However, the three confederations rejected this approach, stating it failed to “recognise that proper governance in the face of such a profound lack of judgement would require that such a review be conducted by a fully independent third party.” The letter also reiterated a legal warning from Uefa, demanding that Fifa preserve all documents related to the FFE plans.
Sources close to the movement against Infantino suggest the message is clear: he should resign now rather than seek re-election in March. Additionally, the three confederations have begun preliminary discussions about organizing their own competitions to ensure players can compete even if a boycott of Fifa events, such as next month’s U20 Women’s World Cup, occurs.
Asia remains a critical battleground for Infantino’s future. While some of the 46 countries in the region—including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka—have voiced support for the president, the fact that AFC president Sheikh Salman signed the letter suggests significant momentum for change. Infantino currently retains support from South America, Africa, and Mexico, but this latest development significantly escalates the pressure in what has become an unprecedented civil war within world football.
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