UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF have issued a joint statement criticizing FIFA President Gianni Infantino over his privatization plan for the World Cup, according to Al Jazeera and channelstv.com. The statement emphasized that leadership in football is not a possession and should not be held for personal gain. ‘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 confederations added.

Call for Independent Review

The three confederations have called for a fully independent review into the stake sale proposal, which FIFA would have no role in conducting. They described the situation as a ‘profound failure of judgment.’ The statement concluded by urging unity in football, asserting that ‘football’s strength has always been its unity.’

Criticism of Emergency Meeting

The confederations also criticized a FIFA emergency meeting in Morocco last week, noting that only one elected official was present, though they questioned the transparency and inclusiveness of the process. Meanwhile, Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness, a potential candidate to replace Infantino, called on him to step down immediately, according to Al Jazeera.

Support for Infantino

In the face of this criticism, Infantino has received support from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and South American countries including Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Bolivia. CAF released a statement on behalf of its 54 members backing Infantino on Thursday, though CONCACAF member Mexico also supported Infantino, along with two AFC members — Kuwait and Qatar, where Infantino owns a house.

Despite the internal dissent, Infantino managed to rally support among the six confederations that make up FIFA. The 56-year-old Swiss official, who has been in office for 10 years, is seeking a fourth and final term in the FIFA presidential election in Rabat next March. Candidates must be declared by November 18, according to channelstv.com.

Infantino’s privatization plan was previously shelved after UEFA threatened to boycott World Cups if it went ahead, potentially depriving the competition of teams including reigning men’s champions Spain and 2026 semi-finalists France and England. This pressure proved central in Infantino withdrawing the plan; Before this, he appeared unopposed in his re-election bid following the successful World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Despite the proposal being abandoned, the confederations continued to criticize Infantino for a lack of judgment; they described the initial plan as ‘a shabby, opaque, backroom deal.’