UEFA, AFC, CONCACAF accuse FIFA of deception, demand transparency

European, Asian, and North American football confederations have publicly accused FIFA of deception and a breach of trust. In an open letter to the "football family," UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF called for "union" and "transparency" from FIFA's leadership.

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When trust is broken through deception, when a person puts themselves before the collective that has entrusted them with authority, that duty has been abandoned.

The confederations specifically criticized FIFA's recent attempt to create a subsidiary for commercializing the World Cup. They described the process as a "mistake in judgment" and a deliberate design to "limit scrutiny" by presenting a proposal with a tight deadline and insufficient consultation. This action, they stated, "broke trust through deception."

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A proposal presented on a very tight timeline, without significant consultation, and pushed towards a deadline before member associations could adequately examine its terms, is not the product of oversight, but of design intended to limit scrutiny.

"Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding, nor demanding, the power to exercise it. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it," the letter reads. The organizations stressed that their concern is not about money or competition expansion, but about the "integrity of football and the integrity of those who have been elected to lead it."

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This recent meeting, where a select number of FIFA's Management Committee members, and not the full Committee, were convened abroad, rather than the leadership travelling to Zurich to address the heart of FIFA, its staff, does nothing but reinforce these concerns and represents a continuation of the same pattern of conduct that has led us to this situation.

The letter also criticized FIFA's review process for a report presented to the FIFA Council, noting it was not conducted by a "fully independent" third party. They also objected to the representation of only one elected official at a recent management meeting held abroad, suggesting it reinforced concerns about the current leadership's conduct. The confederations concluded by requesting "respect" for unity and urging leaders to "serve" football instead of trying to "rule" it.

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It is not the conduct of a custodian of football, but of someone who believes football owes them accountability.