The Asian Football Confederation announced its rejection of the current proposal to establish a new subsidiary company of the International Federation of Association Football, in order to attract investments, through the sale of rights to some tournaments.
The Asian Football Confederation expressed its concern over the repercussions of the project on the future of world football, affirming its solidarity with the Union of European Football Associations and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football in objecting to the mechanism by which the proposal was presented.
The Asian Confederation clarified in an official statement that it had followed with great concern the recent developments related to the project and the accompanying state of uncertainty within the football community, noting that the discussion reaching the point of talking about a possible boycott of the World Cup—as UEFA hinted—represents a matter of concern and should not have reached this stage for the game.
The statement affirmed that FIFA’s new project in its current form lacks the elements necessary to achieve the required consensus within the football family, given the rejecting positions announced by major continental federations, explaining that the strength of the World Cup lies in the participation of all continents and national teams, and that any project that threatens the unity of the tournament or its global character requires reconsideration.
The Asian Confederation stressed that the crisis is not related to the project alone, but reveals shortcomings in the mechanisms of governance, consultation, and decision-making within the International Federation of Association Football, considering that the clarifications provided by FIFA recently did not address the fundamental concerns related to institutional procedures and the transparency of the decision-making process.
It added: “Proposals with significant commercial, sporting, and strategic impact should not be presented in a way that makes continental and national federations, and even the regulatory bodies within FIFA, feel excluded from participating in decision-making, and the development of world football must be based on transparency, trust, and genuine consultation.”
It continued: “The World Cup and world football belong to all members of the football family, and its future must be drawn collectively in a manner that reflects the will of all continental and national federations.”
The Asian Confederation also noted that this is not the first time major initiatives have been presented after their features had already been predetermined, which negatively affects confidence in the governance system within FIFA, affirming that subsequent consultations cannot compensate for the importance of involving stakeholders from the earliest stages.
The Confederation called for leveraging this crisis to implement institutional reforms that enhance transparency and governance mechanisms, affirming that democracy is not limited to voting but begins with providing information, conducting early consultations, and involving all parties at various stages of decision-making.
The Asian Football Confederation concluded its statement by calling for an urgent review of the governance system and decision-making mechanisms to ensure that projects of global importance are prepared through genuine participation and effective institutional oversight.
