The governing bodies of European and North American football, UEFA and Concacaf, are maintaining their relentless push against FIFA president Gianni Infantino. In the wake of revelations regarding Infantino’s intentions to divest portions of the World Cup to private financial backers, both organizations have positioned themselves as his most vocal detractors, implying that his resignation is necessary.
On Monday, this campaign intensified as they secured the backing of another major governing body. A collaborative declaration was published by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Concacaf, and UEFA on Monday, detailing the core issues that warrant a change in FIFA’s executive governance.
Moments after the publication of that declaration, several regional associations—including U.S. Soccer, Canada Soccer, the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), and the Central American Football Union (UNCAF)—united in a shared demand for “significant reforms to bolster FIFA’s oversight, clarity, and responsibility.”
In their initial collaborative dispatch, which was labeled an “Open letter to the football family,” UEFA, Concacaf, and the AFC emphasized their collective stance that the sport’s triumph is not the work of a single individual, asserting that achievements in football are collectively distributed across “FIFA, the regional bodies, the national organizations, and the countless individuals who devote themselves to the sport.”
The correspondence subsequently challenges Infantino directly regarding his ethical standards and style of management.
“This concerns a far more basic principle: the sport’s credibility and the moral standing of the individuals chosen to guide it.
“Guiding the global game is not a personal asset. It does not entail seizing—or insisting upon—the retention of authority. Rather, it represents a commitment to serve the broader football community that has placed its confidence in that role.
“When that confidence is violated by misleading actions, and when a single leader elevates themselves above the community that granted them power, that obligation of service has been forsaken.”
Furthermore, the three regional authorities condemned Infantino’s conduct following the collapse of his private investment initiative. They charged the president with neglecting to share his intentions beforehand and subsequently failing to allocate sufficient time for national associations to thoroughly analyze the matter prior to a ballot. Additionally, the bodies pointed out that FIFA refused to “admit that the underlying concept of the project was fundamentally flawed.”
Although FIFA has promised to supply a comprehensive assessment explaining the genesis of the initiative, the regional bodies expressed skepticism about the organization auditing itself, advocating instead for an “entirely impartial external entity” to oversee the investigation.
Faced with escalating demands, Infantino organized a gathering of FIFA executives in Morocco on Wednesday. The confederations expressed skepticism regarding this gathering, pointing out the scarcity of democratically elected representatives in attendance and highlighting that no members of the FIFA Council or national federations were given an invitation to participate.
The regional bodies also highlighted that only a chosen few representatives from the FIFA executive board were requested to join, rather than the entire committee. They further raised questions about Infantino’s decision to stage the gathering overseas rather than at the central FIFA offices located in Zurich.
The communication finishes with the following words:
“We encounter evasion where responsibility is required, and aloofness where transparency is needed.
“Such attributes are not what the sport deserves from those at the helm. Consequently, we have chosen this course of action: with serious intent and in solidarity, driven by our obligation to the sport we represent.
“The power of our sport has historically resided in its solidarity. We urge that this solidarity be respected at this moment, advocating for an administration that supports the sport rather than attempting to dominate it.”
Although the document refrains from mentioning Infantino by name or directly demanding his stepping down, its strong commentary on stewardship strongly suggests that he ought to step aside for a new leader.
In addition, various accounts indicate that UEFA, Concacaf, and the AFC are investigating the possibility of co-organizing independent tournaments to provide matches for their athletes. When details about Infantino’s investment venture originally surfaced, UEFA threatened to withdraw from the World Cup and other FIFA-managed tournaments. It now seems the European body is prepared to act on those warnings.
This development represents the most assertive public stance taken by U.S. Soccer concerning Infantino and his management. Whether U.S. Soccer, Canada Soccer, the CFU, and UNCAF will collaborate to establish proprietary tournaments or implement further measures to challenge Infantino remains to be seen.
Confronted with widespread condemnation of the scheme, FIFA ultimately retreated, declaring that the initiative to sell equity in the World Cup had been abandoned.
Even with the proposal discarded, the backlash against Infantino persisted. Several national federations declared their intention to withhold support for his upcoming reelection campaign. Infantino’s presidency is set for a vote in March 2027, and as of now, no rival contenders have declared their bid for the position.
As opposition grew, Infantino convened an urgent session in Morocco during the first week of August. FIFA subsequently issued a release characterizing the discussions as “productive” and asserting that the president maintained the backing of his management board’s representatives.
Following that assembly, several national associations, such as those of Germany and England, among others, have publicly voiced their ongoing support for Infantino.
