The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has welcomed FIFA's decision to abandon its plan to sell a 20 percent stake in a new unit managing FIFA events, including the World Cup. The proposal, initially announced on Tuesday, aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion by inviting private investors. However, it faced strong opposition from regional confederations, including the AFC, which said they were blindsided by the announcement.

Following the backlash, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that the governing body had scrapped the plans after listening “carefully to all the views.”

In a letter posted on the AFC’s website on Saturday, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa emphasized the importance of transparency and consultation. He said he expects “any initiative that has the potential to impact global football will be presented and discussed with the Confederations, the FIFA Council, Member Associations and other stakeholders in a timely, transparent and meaningful manner.”

The fallout also included internal criticism, with FIFA COO Lamour reportedly saying staff were deceived over the plan, and Infantino’s senior adviser resigning over what was described as a “bad” FIFA World Cup plan.

This episode highlights the need for proper consultation within global football governance, as stressed by the AFC, to ensure future decisions are made transparently and inclusively.

Sources