Football authorities representing Europe, North and Central America and the Caribbean, and Asia have issued a joint attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the governing body’s proposed 2030 World Cup investment plans.
In the statement, the confederations accused FIFA of “deception” and a “fundamental breach of trust” over how the idea of selling a stake in the World Cup was handled. They argued the issue goes far beyond finance and concerns football’s duty to “the fans, the clubs, the Member Associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future”.
Their message opened with a blunt declaration.
“Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It is in that spirit, as confederations representing its members, that we speak collectively today.”
The presidents said the dispute cuts to the core of how the game is led.
“This is about something more fundamental [than money]: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it. 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 said FIFA had apologised for “failure of communication”, but the confederations insisted that “what football witnessed was a failure of judgment”. In their view, there has still been no real admission that attempting to sell an interest in the tournament was wrong in principle.
“It did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong. There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment – not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.”
The statement ended with a direct criticism of FIFA’s leadership.
“There is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness. These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve. Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”
FIFA is proposing the creation of a new $20 billion company, called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), ahead of the 2030 World Cup, with stakes to be sold to private investors and Thrive Eternal, an investment firm led by Joshua Kushner, reportedly leading the deal. Joshua Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. The venture would be valued at approximately $4.2 billion to raise capital from external investors.
All 55 UEFA member associations voted unanimously in an emergency meeting to boycott FIFA competitions, including the 2027 Women’s World Cup and 2030 Men’s World Cup, unless FIFA abandoned the investment plan entirely. CONCACAF, representing North and Central American and Caribbean nations, also rejected the proposal, criticizing “the lack of due process” and “the artificially short deadline.” Asia’s football confederation similarly opposed the plan.
The backlash has been driven by claims that FIFA is putting commercial priorities ahead of football’s traditions. Infantino had defended the strategy, saying the aim is to grow the game’s revenues and distribute more money to member associations, not surrender control of the sport. In his defense of the proposal, he outlined a “singular and unique funding opportunity” and said it was his duty to present such opportunities to FIFA’s members. He offered each member association access to up to $40 million in funding if the plan was approved, with a decision deadline originally set for September 19.
In an earlier statement, he wrote “Football is the world’s most popular sport and an extraordinary engine of human and social development. Parts of the game have turned that popularity into remarkable commercial value – and we celebrate that success and want it to continue, because it lifts the whole game.”
The 2030 World Cup is slated to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. The threat of a European boycott put the tournament in jeopardy, as two of its three primary co-hosts are UEFA members. The proposal had originally been presented to FIFA members on July 18 with a shortened timeline for approval, a decision that drew criticism over the lack of consultation and transparency in how it was handled.