The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) has unanimously rejected FIFA’s proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup to private investors, becoming the latest football confederation to oppose the controversial plan.
The decision was reached after representatives of all 41 Concacaf member associations met to deliberate on the proposal amid growing concerns over FIFA’s governance.
According to reports, the meeting exposed increasing unease among member associations about FIFA’s leadership under president Gianni Infantino.
A source familiar with the discussions said many delegates believed they were “losing confidence, or have lost confidence altogether” in Infantino’s leadership. Another individual with knowledge of the meeting acknowledged widespread concerns over FIFA’s approach to governance and transparency, although describing the sentiment as less severe.
Following the deliberations, Concacaf issued a statement confirming that all 41 member associations had voted to reject the proposal.
The decision comes shortly after UEFA announced that its 55 member associations would boycott FIFA competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, if the global football governing body proceeds with its commercial plans.
Explaining its position, Concacaf said its members were deeply troubled by the manner in which the proposal was presented.
“During the meeting, the membership expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies. In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programmes following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned.”
The confederation added that the discussions underscored the need for greater transparency and stronger governance within FIFA.
“For these reasons, Concacaf and its 41 Member Associations have rejected the proposal,” the statement concluded.
FIFA, however, has defended the initiative, maintaining that the proposal is aimed at creating a FIFA-owned commercial subsidiary capable of attracting long-term investment and commercial expertise while ensuring the organisation retains full ownership, governance and control of the FIFA World Cup.
