FIFA crisis: UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC demand greater transparency and unity
In an unprecedented move, the confederations of Europe (UEFA), Asia (AFC), and North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) have joined their voices to issue a forceful call for transparency and integrity within FIFA. The discontent arises following the management of a recent commercialization project linked to the World Cup, which has raised serious doubts about the internal processes of the world football governing body.
A call for institutional integrity
Through an open letter addressed to the global football community, the main leaders of these three organizations—including Aleksander Ceferin for UEFA, Victor Montagliani for CONCACAF, and Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa for the AFC—expressed their deep concern. According to the representatives, the conflict transcends the economic, focusing primarily on the ethical responsibility of those who lead football institutions.
The integrity of football and the responsibility of those who have been elected to lead its institutions are above any commercial interest or structural change.
Joint statement by UEFA, AFC and CONCACAFQuestioning the decision-making process
The confederations pointed out that the proposal to create a structure to market World Cup rights was presented under non-transparent conditions. Key points of the criticism include:
- Insufficient deadlines: The initiative was presented with too little time, preventing member federations from properly analyzing the terms.
- Lack of consultation: An absence of broad debate was denounced, which, according to the signatories, was a deliberate design to avoid rigorous scrutiny.
- External reviews: Given the doubts regarding management, the organizations demand that the report to be presented to the FIFA Council be audited by a completely independent third party.
Governance concerns
Another point of friction was the recent FIFA leadership meeting in Morocco. The confederations criticized the selective summoning of certain members of the Management Committee, instead of holding a plenary session at the Zurich headquarters. For UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF, these types of practices deepen the distrust regarding how strategic decisions are made within the organization.
Finally, the three confederations reaffirmed that sports leadership should be a service for the development of football and not a tool for the concentration of power. With this stance, they seek to set a precedent regarding the need for accountability and mutual respect among all the institutions that make up the structure of international football.
