AFC urges FIFA to undertake 'urgent review' in clear message opposing controversial plan
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has now joined Uefa and Concacaf in rejecting FIFA's controversial plan to sell stakes in a World Cup company.
After an emergency Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) meeting that took place on July 30 European nations threatened that they will not take part in the next World Cup tournament if Gianni Infantino grants private funding for the games.
Shortly after, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) took a stand, with the AFC now also standing by them.
"The AFC stands in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF in expressing serious concerns over FIFA's proposal to introduce private investment into FIFA's flagship competitions and the decision-making process around FFE," the statement read.
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"The fact that the situation has reached the point where the real possibility of a FIFA World Cup boycott has entered public discourse should concern everyone who cares about the future of our game. Football should never have been placed in such a position.
"While the immediate debate centres on FFE, the AFC considers this issue extends far beyond a single proposal. Rather, it has exposed fundamental weaknesses in FIFA's consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed. While the AFC notes FIFA's latest clarification on the proposal, the central concerns surrounding governance, institutional process and meaningful consultation remain unanswered.
Elsewhere, they urged the governing body to undertake an 'urgent review'.
"The AFC calls upon Fifa to undertake an urgent review of its governance and decision-making framework to ensure that proposals of global significance are developed through proper consultation, meaningful engagement and appropriate oversight by Fifa's statutory bodies."
FIFA plans to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a $20 billion company, ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
It would remain majority-owned and controlled by FIFA, however, would sell minority stakes to private investors.
In response to the backlash, FIFA issued a statement, which said: "We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each member association has the ability to express its vote based on facts."
"Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain," the statement read.
The first statement, which came from UEFA, said: "No UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership."
"This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross," the previously said, saying that 'every national football association, leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game,' should too.
Kiesha Dosanjh