UEFA, Concacaf, and AFC demand FIFA president Gianni Infantino resign over botched commercial rights sale

The three most powerful regional football confederations on the planet just told Gianni Infantino, in writing, that they’ve lost confidence in his leadership. UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation released a joint open letter on August 10 condemning the FIFA president over his now-abandoned plan to sell off a chunk of the organization’s commercial rights. The letter doesn’t mince words, calling his conduct a “fundamental breach of trust” and a “profound failure of judgment.” The deal that blew it all up At the center of the crisis is Infantino’s attempt to sell a 20% minority stake in a commercial entity tied to FIFA’s business operations. The assets in question were valued at roughly $20 billion, meaning the proposed sale would have represented around $4 billion worth of FIFA’s commercial crown jewels. The plan was met with immediate and fierce opposition. Multiple federations threatened boycotts, and the backlash was severe enough that Infantino pulled the plug before the deal could materialize. The confederations weren’t angry just about the sale itself. They were furious about how it was handled: unilaterally, without adequate consultation, and with what they des...