The Asian Football Confederation has accused Fifa of undermining the foundations of football by failing to consult the confederations over its plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
In a letter sent on Thursday by president Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa to AFC’s 47 members, which has been seen by the Guardian, Fifa’s unilateral actions in doing a deal with Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital to buy 20% of a new company that would control the commercial rights of all global tournaments is roundly condemned.
Al-Khalifa’s intervention appears significant, as the AFC has previously been strong supporters of Gianni Infantino and has already pledged to vote for him en masse in next year’s Fifa presidential election.
With the South American confederation Conmebol and the Confederation of African Football (Caf) firmly behind Infantino the AFC’s position is critical, as they appear to have the balance of power.
Uefa and the North American confederation Concacaf have both strongly opposed the sell-off, but with just 90 votes between them would not have sufficient numbers to block Fifa’s proposal, which requires a simple majority of their 211 to pass.
The AFC had issued a statement echoing Uefa’s concerns over governance yesterday, but al-Khalifa’s letter goes further.
“The AFC notes with great concern and disappointment that it was not consulted by Fifa at any level prior to the public announcement of this proposal, and nor has it received any detailed governance, financial or legal analysis of the proposal and its potential repercussions, which is totally unacceptable,” he wrote.
“Furthermore, the AFC is deeply concerned that Fifa’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football, which are based on solidarity, cooperation and transparency. Moreover, such an initiative will not succeed without the support of all the confederations, which is not the case now.”
Al-Khalifa also called on Fifa to alter their timetable after Infantino gave national associations a deadline of 19 September to decide whether to accept an initial payment of $20m (£15m) that would be generated by the sale.
“The AFC is surprised that the current timeline allows an extremely limited period for consideration of a proposal of such significance, when such decisions should never be rushed, and it is imperative that all factors be considered and debated,” he wrote.
“The AFC firmly believes that sufficient time must be afforded for a comprehensive assessment, including appropriate legal and governance due diligence, meaningful consultation and careful consideration of the long-term implications of such an initiative.
“Above all, it is essential that the appropriate Fifa bodies be involved in the decision-making process and that the matter is handled at all times in accordance with the Fifa Statutes and the highest standards of ethics and good governance.”
Uefa will hold an emergency meeting of its 55 members on Thursday afternoon to discuss their next steps, with a senior source telling the Guardian on Thursday morning that a boycott of Fifa tournaments would be the main discussion point.
• This article was amended on 31 July 2026. Uefa and Concacaf have a total of 90 votes between them, not 65 votes as an earlier version said.
