FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino are facing mounting criticism after UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) accused the world football governing body of breaking trust through “deception”, as reported by BBC Sport.
In an open letter signed by the presidents and general secretaries of the three confederations, the organisations said the controversy surrounding FIFA's proposed Forward Enterprise (FFE) was not simply about a business decision. Instead, they said it raised fundamental questions about “the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it”.
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The FFE proposal would have set up a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. The plan would have seen a private investment firm buy a 21% stake in the company.
The plan was eventually abandoned following widespread criticism from several FIFA confederations, with UEFA leading the opposition. UEFA has also threatened to boycott FIFA competitions over the dispute.
"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 read.
Although the open letter did not directly name Infantino, BBC Sport reported that it should be viewed as an opportunity for the FIFA president to resign and leave his position with dignity.
The latest development comes shortly after FIFA issued a strongly worded statement on Saturday evening, accusing a “concerted and ongoing effort” to “undermine” both the organisation and Infantino.
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The three confederations have now called for an independent review of the controversy. They said the review should be conducted by a “fully independent third party”, after FIFA committed to presenting a report on the matter to the FIFA Council in October.
The dispute marks a significant escalation in tensions between FIFA's leadership and some of the world's most powerful football confederations, with questions over governance and transparency now at the centre of the controversy.
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