The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said that, like UEFA and North American regional body CONCACAF, it rejects FIFA’s proposals, but stopped short of threatening to withdraw from FIFA events.
“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,” the statement from the AFC said.
“Football should never have been placed in such a position.”
‘Pinnacle of Global Football’
The AFC said that the proposed FFE “cannot realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward.”
It added that the World Cup is “the pinnacle of global football” and that it derives its strength from the participation of “all the regional confederations and the world’s leading football nations.”
The AFC said the controversial plan “has exposed fundamental weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed.”
Following UEFA’s threat on Thursday to withdraw from the World Cup and other tournaments, FIFA issued a fresh statement on Friday, saying that each national association “should be allowed to review the proposal and have a say in shaping their own future.”
FIFA, which represents 211 member associations from six regional bodies, said it respects “the feedback and concern aired in public” and reaffirmed its commitment to “an open and democratic consultation.”
FIFA Blames ‘Erroneous Reporting’
The plan was first revealed by The Times of London on Tuesday and quickly met with a chorus of disapproval.
The global governing body blamed “erroneous reporting in the media,” which FIFA said has “disrupted” the planned consultation process. “Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain,” the statement added.
The AFC’s latest statement, which followed FIFA’s on Friday, said that “central concerns surrounding governance, institutional process and meaningful consultation remain unanswered.”
It said the furor must become a catalyst for institutional reform at FIFA, and that “meaningful democracy is not measured solely by the opportunity to vote.”
“It begins with transparent governance, timely consultation, informed deliberation, and genuine participation throughout the decision-making process.”
CONCACAF Criticizes ‘Lack of Due Process’
Following UEFA’s threat on Thursday, CONCACAF—the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football—released a statement saying its member associations had also rejected FIFA’s proposal, while stopping short of threatening a boycott. Of those 41 member associations, 35 are in FIFA.
During a meeting, CONCACAF said its members expressed “deep concerns” about the “lack of due process” surrounding the proposal, the “artificially short” deadline imposed, and the “absence of any review or approval” by the relevant FIFA governance bodies.
CONCACAF members also questioned “the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs” following this month’s conclusion of the most profitable World Cup in history.
FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, has proposed spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses—including men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups—into a $20 billion subsidiary, with 20 percent owned by private investors. Swiss-born Infantino gave its 211 member associations a Sept. 19 deadline to accept the offer.
Thrive Eternal, the “anchor investor” identified by FIFA, is a New York-based investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. J.P. Morgan, the largest U.S. bank, is working with FIFA on the proposal.
Founded in 1904, FIFA is one of the world’s wealthiest sporting organizations, generating billions of dollars in revenue from broadcasting rights, sponsorship, and other commercial deals linked to the World Cup.
FIFA says its proposal can increase the funds it provides to widen access to the sport and strengthen global participation, with all net benefits to be reinvested in the game.
Top Teams Mostly in Europe
Although a majority of its 211 members have now publicly opposed the proposals, FIFA vowed to press on with them, saying, “We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each [member] has the ability to express its vote based on facts.”
FIFA, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, has a one-member, one-vote policy, but a schism with Europe could mean its tournaments losing a majority of the world’s top players and teams.
The last World Cup, won by Spain, saw six out of the eight quarter-final spots taken by European teams, with only runners-up Argentina and Morocco from other continents.
The next FIFA event that could be affected by the threatened European boycott is just weeks away—the Women’s Under-20 World Cup, due to be hosted by Poland from Sept. 5.
The four British federations of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland comprise FIFA’s only bidder to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup, with a decision due on Nov. 23.
The other three regional bodies within FIFA, representing South America, Africa, and Oceania, had not declared a position on the proposals by Friday afternoon.
Infantino’s Key Adviser Quits
In a further blow to FIFA’s plans, a senior adviser to Infantino resigned in protest on Friday.
Carlos Cordeiro called the plan “a bad deal for football,” as he stood down with immediate effect.
“It is a bad deal for FIFA’s Member Associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game,” Cordeiro said in a statement.
A former Goldman Sachs banker and ex-U.S. Soccer Federation vice president who represented the soccer body on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, Cordeiro added he was not involved in the proposal and opposed it “unequivocally.”
“FIFA already has access to extraordinary financial resources. The organization sits on billions of dollars in reserves and no debt,” Cordeiro said, noting FIFA’s revenue of $15 billion over the last four years tied to the 2026 World Cup.
“Against that backdrop, selling a permanent stake in football’s most valuable asset to raise $4.2 billion makes little sense. It is mortgaging football’s future without any compelling justification,” he said.
UEFA, which is headed by Slovenian lawyer Aleksander Ceferin, said on Thursday that FIFA’s proposed model “has no place in world football” and the future of the sport “cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximize financial return.”
FIFA’s chief operating officer said on Friday that its staff were deceived by Infantino’s sell-off plan, and called for the project to be abandoned.
Kevin Lamour gave a damning statement on his boss to the Associated Press, defending his colleagues, who he said “deserve better than contempt and intimidation.”
“It is the project of one person,” Lamour, a long-time colleague of Infantino at both FIFA and European soccer body UEFA, wrote.
“Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”
