The Asian Football Confederation, Union of European Football Associations and Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football have released a joint open‑letter statement, stating that FIFA has failed to recognise the fundamental errors within its previous proposal. The attempt to sell World Cup assets constitutes a betrayal of trust among football governing bodies.
OPEN LETTER TO THE FOOTBALL FAMILY
Dear Football Family,
Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution.
It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the Member Associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future.
It is in that spirit, as confederations representing its members, that we speak collectively today.
The growth over the past decade has been real. But that progress was never the work of one individual. It was the product of FIFA, the Confederations, the Member Associations, and the thousands of people who dedicate their lives to the game.
The expanded tournaments, the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, the distribution of resources to associations. These were shared achievements, agreed together, delivered together.
This is not about money. The Confederations have already called for the responsible distribution of FIFA's vast existing reserves to further strengthen investment in the development of Member Associations.
Nor is it about any Member Association losing the support it has earned, despite the fearmongering directed at our membership to suggest otherwise. Nor is it about revisiting the expansion of competitions, World Cup allocations, or any other decisions reached collectively. Those decisions were made together, and they must stand.
This is about something more fundamental: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it.
