Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and Concacaf have stepped up their campaign to force FIFA president Gianni Infantino out of office, accusing him of breaking the trust of football’s governing institutions and failing to take responsibility for a controversial initiative.
In a strongly worded joint letter, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani called for “leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”
The intervention marks a dramatic escalation in the dispute surrounding Infantino and FIFA, following revelations about the failed Football Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, which the three confederations say was pursued without proper consultation.
Confederations Consider Rival Competitions
The three confederations have also begun preliminary discussions about organizing alternative competitions, while UEFA has renewed its threats to boycott FIFA events.
One of the immediate concerns is next month’s FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which could be held without European teams if the dispute remains unresolved. Alternative arrangements are reportedly being explored.
The confederations are also understood to be considering potential candidates to replace Infantino, with Montagliani among the names believed to be under consideration.
Candidates seeking the FIFA presidency must formally declare their bids by 18 November.
The joint letter was particularly critical of FIFA’s handling of the controversy, arguing that the organization had treated the FFE affair as a communications problem rather than a serious governance failure.
“It treats this as a failure of communication when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment,” the letter said.
The three presidents argued that there had been no adequate acknowledgement that the proposal itself was fundamentally wrong.
“There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment – not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve,” they said.
Call for Independent Investigation
UEFA, AFC, and Concacaf are demanding an independent investigation into the affair, conducted by an organization outside football.
FIFA has previously said it would present a full report on the matter to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.
The three confederations also rejected suggestions that a change in FIFA leadership would threaten financial assistance to member associations.
The letter said the dispute was “not about any member association losing the support it has earned,” while accusing those defending the current leadership of using fear to discourage opposition.
“Football’s strength has always been its unity,” the presidents said. “We call for that unity to be honoured now, with leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”
Support for Infantino Remains
Despite the increasingly coordinated opposition, Infantino continues to retain significant support, particularly outside Europe.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and South American football governing body Conmebol have publicly backed the FIFA president in recent days.
Few football associations outside Europe have openly called for Infantino’s removal, while only a small number have considered withdrawing letters previously issued in support of his re-election.
Several major national associations have reportedly written to Infantino seeking meetings at which he would be expected to explain his role in the FFE scheme. They have yet to receive a response.
Infantino has also not personally contacted national federations to address the crisis surrounding his leadership.
Concacaf Members Demand Change
The UEFA-AFC-Concacaf letter was followed by another joint statement involving US Soccer, Canada Soccer, the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), and the Central American Football Union (UNCAF).
The four organizations represent 40 of Concacaf’s 41 member associations. Mexico is the sole exception and publicly reaffirmed its support for Infantino last Friday.
The involvement of US Soccer is particularly significant. The US federation had previously remained largely silent over the dispute and is bidding to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup while also seeking to stage matches during the 2029 Club World Cup.
The four organizations said they were united in demanding reforms to FIFA’s governance structures.
“U.S. Soccer, Canada Soccer, CFU, and UNCAF stand together, along with our colleagues around the world, in calling for meaningful change that strengthens FIFA’s governance, transparency, and accountability,” they said.
The growing divide now presents FIFA with one of its most serious leadership crises in years, with major confederations openly questioning Infantino’s authority and exploring options that could reshape international football’s competition and governance structure.
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