On July 30, 2026, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa sharply criticized FIFA for not consulting regional confederations before announcing its plan to create a $20 billion commercial subsidiary to manage the World Cup and other events. In a letter to the AFC's 47 member national football federations, Sheikh Salman described FIFA's lack of prior consultation as "totally unacceptable," stating it undermines the sport's existing continental structure based on solidarity, cooperation, and transparency.

FIFA revealed the plan on Tuesday, drawing criticism from the AFC and other regional bodies who said they were blindsided by the announcement. Sheikh Salman emphasized that the proposal would not succeed without the support of all confederations and called for FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to be "thoroughly examined and discussed through the appropriate legal and governance channels."

The AFC also expressed surprise at the tight timeline given to member associations to approve the plan, noting that decisions of such significance should not be rushed. Infantino had offered $40 million to each of FIFA's 211 member football associations if they agreed to the proposal by September 19, 2026.

The Kuala Lumpur-based AFC oversees regional club and national team competitions across Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, making its support crucial for FIFA's commercial ambitions.

Notable Quotes

  • "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," Sheikh Salman wrote.
  • "And nor has it received any detailed governance, financial or legal analysis of the proposal and its potential repercussions, which is totally unacceptable."
  • "The AFC is also 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."
  • "The AFC kindly requests all (member associations) to await the outcome of these consultations and the completion of the necessary review processes before reaching any position regarding the proposal."