A strongly worded message.. The AFC rebukes FIFA for the lack of consultation in the plan to “sell the World Cup”

The Asian Football Confederation on Thursday attacked the International Federation (FIFA) for not consulting with it regarding its plan to involve private investors in the World Cup in a case known internationally as the “World Cup Sale Plan,” demanding that the federations be given more time to study the proposal, in a new setback to the international body’s efforts to approve it.

In a strongly worded message to the 47 member national federations, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned that the proposal would not succeed without the support of all continental federations, in reference to the strong opposition expressed by Europe towards the plan. Sheikh Salman wrote: “The Asian Football Confederation notes with great concern and disappointment that FIFA did not consult with it at any level before announcing this proposal, nor did it receive any detailed analysis of the administrative, financial or legal aspects of the proposal or its potential repercussions, which is completely unacceptable.”

He added, “The Asian Football Confederation is deeply concerned that the unilateral measures taken by FIFA appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football, which are based on solidarity, cooperation and transparency.”

These frank criticisms increase the pressure on FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has a controversial plan to create a new entity affiliated with him worth $20 billion to manage the World Cup and other FIFA-affiliated tournaments, while offering minority stakes to external investors. The continental and national federations were surprised by the proposal when it was announced, while it was met with a categorical rejection from the European Union (UEFA).

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) also criticized FIFA this week over the lack of prior consultation on the plan. Infantino had offered FIFA’s 211 member federations $40 million for each federation if the proposal was approved by September 19, as part of a financing package worth $10 billion that would become available as of January 1, 2027. If the proposal is rejected, the package will return to its previous level of $2.7 billion, which is equivalent to about $10 million for each member association. Sheikh Salman said that the AFC was surprised by the short time limit allocated to study the proposal, stressing that “such decisions should never be taken hastily,” and that the federation will communicate directly with FIFA to obtain further clarifications. “The AFC firmly believes in the need to allow sufficient time to conduct a comprehensive assessment, including completing the necessary legal and administrative review procedures,” he wrote. There was no immediate comment from FIFA in response to a Reuters request for comment on the letter.

Criticism of the lack of transparency

Infantino said that FIFA intends to present the proposal to the member associations for a vote, before referring it to its council to make the final decision. But Sheikh Salman stressed that the proposal needs the support of all six continental federations. He wrote, “Such an initiative will not succeed without the support of all continental federations, which is not currently available.” The Executive Committee of the African Union (CAF) is scheduled to meet next week to study the proposal, while the Oceania Football Confederation, the smallest continental federation with 11 members, announced that it will discuss it during a meeting next month. There has been no public position yet from the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). Bodies representing players also joined in opposing the plan, as the International Federation of Professional Players (FIFPro) warned that the proposal may reshape the incentives on which the tournaments in which players compete and build their professional careers are based in a way that is difficult to reverse. The Australian Professional Footballers’ Association joined these criticisms on Thursday, considering that FIFA is putting pressure on member associations to pass the proposal, ignoring the players and fans who create the real value of these tournaments. The federation said in a statement, “We are deeply concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding this proposal, and the absence of any serious consultation with the parties that generate the value that FIFA seeks to invest, namely the players and fans.” He added, “At a time when football desperately needs more transparency, accountability, and good governance, proposals of this magnitude raise fundamental questions about who runs this game and for whom. These tournaments should not be for sale.”