FIFA President Gianni Infantino continues to face re-election challenges after his failed attempt to sell World Cup rights.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF launched an unprecedented attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Monday, accusing him of breaking trust through “deception” and placing himself above the collective after his controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup.
In an open letter to the football community, the three confederations didn't explicitly call for Infantino to resign. However, they demanded an independent investigation into the events surrounding the now-abandoned proposal.
“Football’s strength has always been its unity,” the confederations said in their letter. “We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.” The Swiss administrator has faced increasing opposition in the football world since proposing a plan to sell off 20% of the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors.
This scheme aimed to raise around $4.2 billion. UEFA, supported by the AFC and CONCACAF, has threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments unless it gets assurances that similar proposals regarding commercial rights will not be made in the future.
