Infantino dealt another blow as Asian Football Confederation rejects plan

By Jamie Gardner, Press Association Chief Sports Reporter

Fifa’s controversial plan to sell stakes in a World Cup company has been dealt what appears to be a fatal blow after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) joined Uefa and CONCACAF in rejecting it.

Gianni Infantino’s future as Fifa president now appears uncertain too, with the AFC statement also highlighting “fundamental weaknesses in Fifa’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed”.

The Press Association understands the 41 nations that make up CONCACAF, the confederation for North and Central America plus the Caribbean, are losing – or have lost – confidence in Infantino, while Uefa says it will boycott Fifa competitions until the plan is dropped.

The Swiss said the plans to create a new company to run the World Cup and Fifa’s other competitions would require a majority of Fifa’s 211 member associations. Collective opposition from AFC’s 47 members, added to CONCACAF’s 41 and Uefa’s 55, would mean 143 now stand against it.

Fifa proposes to create Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) and sell a 20 per cent stake in it to private investors – with Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Eternal earmarked as the lead of the investor group.

He is the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump.

AFC’s statement, as Uefa’s did, highlighted the fact that until media reports emerged on Tuesday, associations were unaware of the plans.

“The AFC stands in solidarity with Uefa and CONCACAF in expressing serious concerns over Fifa’s proposal to introduce private investment into Fifa’s flagship competitions and the decision-making process around FFE,” it read.

“The fact that the situation has reached the point where the real possibility of a Fifa World Cup boycott has entered public discourse should concern everyone who cares about the future of our game. Football should never have been placed in such a position.”

“While the immediate debate centres on FFE, the AFC considers this issue extends far beyond a single proposal. Rather, it has exposed fundamental weaknesses in Fifa’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed. While the AFC notes Fifa’s latest clarification on the proposal, the central concerns surrounding governance, institutional process and meaningful consultation remain unanswered.”

Fifa has been approached for comment.

https://x.com/Uefa/status/2082854732020760880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

AFC’s damning statement called for an “urgent review” of Fifa’s governance and decision-making framework, adding: “This is not the first occasion where major stakeholders have been confronted with significant initiatives after the direction of travel appears to have already been determined.”

Fifa had issued a statement in the early hours of Friday in the wake of Uefa announcing its boycott plan and CONCACAF’s rejection, insisting “nobody is selling football” and vowing to press ahead with the consultation.

Uefa’s 55 member nations met on Thursday and “unanimously and unequivocally” rejected the FFE plan, saying no European nation would play in a Fifa competition while the proposal “remains alive”.

Uefa’s chief concern was the impact that handing over a stake to private investors could have.

“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in Fifa competitions, football changes forever,” Uefa said.

“Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure. From that moment onwards, every decision on the international calendar, every decision on competition formats and every decision shaping the future of football is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders.”