An open letter to the football family has been issued by the AFC, CONCACAF, and UEFA, collectively expressing concerns regarding the leadership and governance within football. The letter highlights that the sport’s growth over the past decade was a shared achievement involving FIFA, the confederations, and member associations, rather than the work of any single individual. It underscores that decisions such as expanded tournaments and the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups were made collaboratively and should stand.
The confederations assert that the issue at hand is not financial, nor is it about revisiting competition expansions or World Cup allocations. Instead, the letter focuses on the integrity of the game and the integrity of those elected to lead it. It states that leadership in football is a duty of service, not a possession of power.
Concerns over FIFA’s conduct
The letter criticises FIFA‘s recent communication to its Vice-Presidents and 211 Member Associations, which acknowledged mistakes in a process but framed them as a failure of communication. The confederations argue that this was, in fact, a failure of judgment. They point to a proposal advanced on a compressed timeline, without meaningful consultation, and pushed towards a deadline before Member Associations could properly review its terms. This approach, they suggest, was designed to limit scrutiny.
Furthermore, the letter states that there has been no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup constituted a profound failure of judgment and a fundamental breach of trust. The confederations also raised concerns about FIFA‘s commitment to presenting a full report on these events to the FIFA Council. They argue that proper governance would require such a review to be conducted by a fully independent third party, not by FIFA itself or its staff.
The letter also highlights that only one elected official was present at a recent leadership meeting in Morocco, with no FIFA Council members or Member Associations invited to participate. Only the management committee, composed of FIFA-employed senior staff, was present. This meeting, where a select number of members of the FIFA Management Committee were summoned abroad, reinforces concerns about a pattern of conduct that is not befitting a custodian of the game.
Calls for leadership change
In a related development, La Liga president Javier Tebas has stated that Gianni Infantino‘s position as FIFA president is untenable. Tebas, a long-standing critic of the current FIFA regime, claimed that Infantino is “destroying the very essence of football” and called for reform at the highest levels of the sport. He reiterated his call for Infantino to resign, an appeal he first made prior to what he referred to as the “sell-off scandal” involving plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.
Tebas suggested that the “Infantino era is over” and expressed hope for a genuine overhaul of leadership rather than merely swapping individuals. He believes that Infantino‘s projects are detrimental to national leagues and do not contribute to the growth of football. This criticism aligns with an increasingly coordinated effort by European football officials and others to challenge Infantino‘s leadership.
UEFA has indicated that it regards Infantino‘s continued leadership as untenable, and the Norwegian FA has called for the president to step down. Several European associations have also withdrawn letters endorsing Infantino for another term. Despite these criticisms, Infantino has garnered support from prominent nations outside Europe, including World Cup co-host Mexico and finalists Argentina. UEFA maintains that a proposed boycott of all FIFA tournaments remains a possibility, with the women’s Under-20 World Cup scheduled to begin in Poland on 5 September.
The open letter concludes by emphasising that football’s strength lies in its unity and calls for leadership that serves the sport rather than seeking to command it. The letter is signed by Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC President), Victor Montagliani (Concacaf President), Aleksander Čeferin (UEFA President), Datuk Seri Windsor John (AFC General Secretary), Philippe Moggio (Concacaf General Secretary), and Theodore Theodoridis (UEFA General Secretary).
Source: uefa.com
