The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football has formally rejected FIFA’s proposal to sell a minority stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other major tournaments to private investors.
The decision was reached during a meeting of all 41 Concacaf member associations on Thursday, where delegates voiced concerns over the process behind the proposal and FIFA’s leadership.
According to a source familiar with the discussions, who requested anonymity to protect professional relationships, most Concacaf members expressed diminishing confidence—or no confidence at all—in FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
A second source suggested that assessment was stronger than their own interpretation of the meeting but acknowledged that there was broad unease among members regarding FIFA’s current leadership style and the lack of transparency surrounding the proposal.
Concacaf’s announcement comes shortly after UEFA declared that its 55 member associations would boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the governing body proceeds with the plan.
A Concacaf statement read, “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 programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned.
“The discussion reinforced the need for greater transparency and proper governance.
“For these reasons, Concacaf and its 41 Member Associations have: Rejected the proposal.
“Tasked their FIFA Council Members with engaging FIFA to determine how existing FIFA reserves could be used to increase FIFA Forward funding for football development across our region.
“And tasked their FIFA Council Members with instructing the FIFA President to ensure that any matter follows the proper governance processes via staff and FIFA Council, in accordance with the FIFA Statutes.”
Concacaf had already criticised the way FIFA introduced the proposal during an earlier meeting on Wednesday, with members questioning the governance process and asking why an organisation with substantial financial reserves needed outside investment.
Several Concacaf nations were hosts of last year’s Club World Cup and will also stage this summer’s men’s World Cup. Member associations in the United States, Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica are also set to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup.
Reacting to Concacaf’s position, U.S. Soccer posted on social media: “U.S. Soccer stands with Concacaf and its members”.
FIFA unveiled the proposal on Tuesday, outlining plans to establish a new commercial entity known as FIFA Forward Enterprises, which would oversee the commercial operations of the World Cup, Club World Cup and other flagship competitions.
While FIFA would retain majority ownership of the new entity, it intends to sell up to 21 per cent of FFE in a move aimed at raising $4.2 billion (£3.2bn). According to FIFA, the funds generated could be distributed immediately to its member associations.
In the face of mounting criticism, Infantino later stated in an interview with FIFA that the proposal was “not an obligation” and stressed that it would require approval from both a majority of FIFA’s 211 member associations and the FIFA Council before it could be implemented.
The Asian Football Confederation also expressed dissatisfaction with the process, saying it was “disappointed that a matter of such significance entered the public domain before the AFC family had been afforded the opportunity to examine and discuss it through the appropriate and established governance channels.”
In contrast, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed it had been involved in consultations and said it was “encourag(ing) its Member Associations to examine” the proposals independently.
