UEFA, CONCACAF, AFC Begin Talks on Rival FIFA Tournaments

By Adedapo Adesanya

European, North and Central American, and Asian football governing bodies have begun preliminary discussions on organising rival international tournaments to those run by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).

According to Bloomberg, the talks involve the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The proposed rival competitions represent the latest challenge to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, following his failed plan to spin off the organisation’s commercial operations in a deal involving JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Such tournaments could threaten FIFA’s lucrative international competition circuit, including the World Cup, which generated more than $9 billion during the 2026 edition, a record for the tournament.

UEFA, whose members are home to some of the richest domestic leagues in the world, has led efforts to pressure Mr Infantino to leave office. Despite shelving the plan to further commercialise FIFA’s operations, the European body is still considering a boycott of the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if Infantino remains president.

The first major tournament that could be affected by any boycott is the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, although several youth competitions are scheduled to take place in the coming months.

According to one of the people familiar with the discussions, the proposed alternative competitions could provide players with opportunities to participate in international tournaments if a disruption to FIFA competitions occurs.

The three confederations also demanded an independent review of Infantino’s World Cup proposal in an open letter issued on Monday.

They argued that, as president of Switzerland-based FIFA, Mr Infantino has a responsibility to act in the best interests of the organisation.

“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC said in the letter.

The three confederations called for a fully ⁠independent review into the stake sale proposal.

“Football’s strength has ⁠always been its unity,” the statement concluded. “We call for that unity to ‌be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not ‌seeks ‌to command it.”

FIFA comprises more than 200 national associations organised under six regional confederations. Besides UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC, the other confederations are the Confederation of African Football (CAF), South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).

The next FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March, with Mr Infantino planning to seek a third four-year term, which would be the final term permitted under the organisation’s rules.