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Multiple organizations, including UEFA, the AFC, and CONCACAF, have accused FIFA of deception and breaching trust after president Gianni Infantino announced plans to sell an interest in the World Cup.
In an open letter published on August 10, 2026, the three organizations addressed the latest announcements of a proposal to sell World Cup stakes, arguing that the decision has raised concerns about the integrity of football’s leadership. The letter was signed by the presidents and general secretaries of the three confederations; however, it did not directly name the president of FIFA.
The open letter states:
“Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the Member Associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future. 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. 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 addressed Infantino’s offer to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would manage the tournaments’ commercial and operational sides, with an additional suggestion to sell approximately 20% of FIFA’s stake to private investors. Since then, Infantino has apologized for the proposal, with the plan now dismissed.
Alongside the criticism, the confederations also urged FIFA to conduct an independent review into Infantino’s scheme to identify how the proposal was actually created and approved.
