UEFA, CONCACAF, AFC Slam FIFA 'Deception' in Joint Letter
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- UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC signed a three-page joint open letter to the "football family" accusing Infantino of "deception" and a "fundamental breach of trust" over the abandoned World Cup stake sale plans
- The three confederations had all rejected Infantino's investment plan before its withdrawal, with UEFA separately announcing a boycott of FIFA competitions that remains in place while Infantino is in post
- UEFA confirmed a six-figure "departure payment" plus MBA course fees went to a female employee alleged to have been in a relationship with Infantino during his 2009-2016 tenure as general secretary, per the Daily Telegraph
- The joint letter also criticized a FIFA management committee meeting in Morocco that ended with a statement backing Infantino, saying it should have addressed FIFA's senior leadership at its Swiss base instead
- FIFA accused critics of "a concerted and ongoing effort to undermine" the organization and its president without due re-election process, claiming recent reporting included "demonstrably false claims"
- Infantino "strongly denies categorically" the allegations, a FIFA spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph
Why it matters: Three of FIFA's six continental confederations are now publicly aligned against Infantino, fracturing the consensus that delivered his presidency. UEFA's confirmation of the six-figure departure payment adds a personal-conduct dimension that goes beyond the policy dispute over the World Cup stake sale, giving critics a second front to press for a leadership change.
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