The Asian Football Confederation, the European Football Confederation "UEFA", and the North, Central America and Caribbean Football Confederation "CONCACAF" issued a joint statement in which they directed accusations against the leadership of the International Football Federation "FIFA" of deception and breach of trust.
The statement, signed by the three continental confederations, accused "FIFA" of attempting to sell a stake in the World Cup without genuine consultations with member associations, and affirmed that the compressed timeline for the proposal was deliberately designed to limit scrutiny and oversight, and was not merely a communication error.
It called for an investigation to be conducted by a completely independent external body, excluding "FIFA" management and its staff from the investigation, and demanded that "FIFA" preserve all documents and records related to the case, a formulation that carries a clear legal and escalatory tone.
The text of the statement reads as follows:
Dear Football Family,
Football is the world's greatest shared passion, and it does not belong to any individual or institution.
It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the member associations, and every institution entrusted with protecting its future.
In this spirit, and as continental confederations representing our members, we speak today with one voice.
The growth achieved over the past decade has been real, but this progress was never the work of one person; it was the fruit of joint efforts between "FIFA", the continental confederations, the member associations, and thousands of people who dedicate their lives to serving the game.
The expansion of tournaments, the awarding of hosting rights for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, and the distribution of resources to the associations are all shared achievements that we agreed upon together and implemented together.
This is not about money. The continental confederations have already called for the responsible distribution of "FIFA"'s current massive financial reserves in a way that strengthens investment in the development of member associations.
Nor is it about depriving any member association of the support it deserves, despite attempts to stir fears among our members and suggest otherwise. It is also not about reconsidering the expansion of tournaments, continental quotas in the World Cup, or any other decisions reached collectively. Those decisions were taken together, and they must remain in place.
The issue here concerns something more fundamental: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it.
Leadership in football is not private property, nor does it mean clinging to power or demanding that others keep you in it; it is a duty based on serving the football family that has placed its trust in its leaders.
When this trust is violated through deception, and when a person places himself above the collective body that granted him authority, he has abandoned this duty.
"FIFA"'s recent message to the vice presidents and the 211 member associations acknowledges that errors occurred during this process. However, it treats the matter as a failure of communication, whereas what football has witnessed was a failure of judgment and appraisal. Presenting a proposal within a compressed timeframe, without genuine consultations, and pushing for its approval before a deadline that does not allow member associations to properly review its terms cannot be considered a mere oversight; it is the result of a deliberate design aimed at limiting scrutiny and review.
"FIFA" also committed to submitting a comprehensive report on these events to the FIFA Council, once again ignoring that sound governance, in the face of this grave lapse in judgment, requires that this review be conducted by a fully independent external body, not by "FIFA" itself or its staff or any of the parties concerned within football. "FIFA" management must have no role in conducting this review.
In accordance with previous correspondence, all relevant documents and records must be preserved, in compliance with what was stated in UEFA's communication regarding the preservation of documents.
"FIFA"'s own message also confirms that only one elected official attended the leadership meeting in Morocco, while no member of the FIFA Council or representatives of the member associations were invited to participate. Attendance was limited to the administrative committee, which consists of senior "FIFA" staff.
This latest meeting, to which a select number of "FIFA" administrative committee members — not the committee in its full composition — were summoned abroad, instead of the leadership traveling to Zurich to address the heart of "FIFA" and its staff, only serves to reinforce these concerns. It also represents a continuation of the same pattern of behavior that has brought us to this moment. This is not the conduct of someone entrusted with the care of the game, but rather the conduct of someone who believes the game must submit to him.
There is silence where accountability is required, and distance where openness and transparency are required.
These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance; not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of our duty to the game we serve.
The unity of football has always been its source of strength. Today, we call for respect for this unity, and for leadership that serves football rather than seeking to impose its authority upon it.
Yours sincerely,
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa
President of the Asian Football Confederation
Victor Montagliani
President of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football "CONCACAF"
Aleksander Čeferin
President of the Union of European Football Associations "UEFA"
Dato' Sri Windsor John
General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation
Philippe Moggio
General Secretary of CONCACAF
Theodoros Theodoridis
General Secretary of the Union of European Football Associations "UEFA"
