Gianni Infantino dealt another blow as Asian Football Confederation rejects World Cup sell-off plan
Reports suggest Infantino is losing support amid his re-election bid, with a growing belief that his attempt to privatise the World Cup would leave him unable to stay in office.
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.
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Gianni Infantino’s future as FIFA president now appears uncertain too, with the AFC statement highlighting “fundamental weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed”.
It is understood that 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.
Read more: The 136 countries which could boycott the World Cup as Asia joins Europe and North America
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.
This would mean that top nations, such as men's and women's world champions Spain, would no longer appear at the World Cup.
Read more: Gianni Infantino’s answer to Fifa critics? Sell the World Cup and tell them to smile
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.”
On Thursday, North America's football confederation Concacaf followed Uefa, its European counterpart, in slamming proposals to spin off the World Cup and sell stakes in the tournament to private investors.
In a statement released on Thursday night, Concacaf said its members had 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".
The statement continued: "In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing Fifa Forward programs following the most profitable Fifa World Cup in history was questioned," during a meeting today.
A source told Sky News that the majority of Concacaf's 41 member nations were disillusioned with Infantino, with the confederation's Canadian leader Victor Montagliani said to be a potential successor to the Swiss-Italian.
Infantino has led Fifa for 10 years - having succeeded Sepp Blatter after he was embroiled in a corruption scandal.
It is unknown which mechanism could be triggered in order to remove Infantino.
Uefa's statement on Thursday appears to have sparked a solidification of the backlash.In a fiery release, the European football body said: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross.
“UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every national football association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game.
“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”
FIFA has been approached for comment.