A major rift has emerged within world football after two powerful continental governing bodies, UEFA and Concacaf, openly challenged FIFA President Gianni Infantino, accusing him of poor governance and abandoning the transparency pledges that helped bring him to power.
The criticism followed FIFA’s controversial proposal to establish a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a move that would have allowed external investors to acquire a minority, non-controlling stake in parts of FIFA’s commercial operations.
Infantino had argued that the initiative would generate additional revenue for football development, promising an extra $40 million for member confederations. However, the proposal triggered immediate resistance from regional football bodies, forcing FIFA to withdraw the plan amid mounting pressure.
The strongest rebuke came from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which declared that it had completely lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership as his third term approaches its conclusion in March 2027.
Led by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, the European football body accused Infantino of betraying the principles of transparency and accountability that formed the cornerstone of his successful 2016 election campaign.
UEFA criticised what it described as a secretive and poorly handled attempt to push through the proposal without adequate consultation.
“The shabby, back-room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through were anything but transparent,” UEFA said in a strongly worded statement.
The organisation also reminded Infantino of a key promise he made during his first presidential campaign, when he insisted that FIFA’s financial resources belonged to national football associations rather than the office of the president.
While welcoming FIFA’s decision to abandon the proposal, UEFA described the reversal as a victory for football stakeholders worldwide. However, it warned that restoring trust in FIFA’s leadership would require much more than withdrawing a single proposal.
The criticism was echoed by the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), which also applauded FIFA’s decision to drop what it called a highly controversial plan involving the future commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup.
In a statement released on Saturday, Concacaf commended its 41 member associations for demonstrating unity and resolve in opposing the proposal.
The confederation argued that discussions involving one of football’s most valuable assets should never have progressed without transparency, consultation or adherence to established governance procedures.
According to Concacaf, the manner in which the proposal was advanced raised serious concerns about decision-making at the highest level of world football.
“A proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident,” the body stated.
“It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first. This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour. A comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative.”
The unprecedented criticism from two of FIFA’s most influential confederations signals growing unrest within global football governance and places Infantino under increasing scrutiny as questions mount over the direction of the sport’s world governing body.
With FIFA forced into a rare retreat and confidence in its leadership publicly challenged, the controversy has opened a fresh chapter in the debate over transparency, accountability and the future management of football’s biggest commercial assets.
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