After UEFA’s boycott, will Concacaf be next? Infantino’s World Cup privatization plan crumbles
The North American confederation and its 41 Member Associations issued a statement on Thursday, rejecting FIFA’s proposal.
UEFA was the first of FIFA‘s six continental governing bodies to issue a statement saying that it will not be held to ransom by Gianni Infantino and his World Cup privatization plan.
UEFA, along with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, AFC and OFC, were given 53 days to accept FIFA’s controversial plan to sell of stakes in several of its major tournaments, including both the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup, to private investors.
CONCACAF issued a statement on Wednesday to inform that it had only found out about FIFA’s privatization plan through the media and the confederation is deeply concerned that there has been no dialogue with the relevant governance bodies on the matter.
It followed up with another statement this evening:
CONCACAF rejects FIFA’s privatization plan
“Concacaf is a confederation united by the love of our game, where football comes first. Guided by this philosophy over the past ten years we have built, from the ground up, an organization founded on service, transparent governance, and the long-term stewardship of football.
“History has shown FIFA and the football family what happens when the custodians of the game lose sight of these values.
“With this in mind, Concacaf today convened a meeting of the presidents of its 41 Member Associations, together with its President, Council members, and its FIFA Council members, to discuss a proposal developed and presented by the FIFA President to establish ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’ and sell interests in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.
“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 vast 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.
“Through these actions, Concacaf reaffirms that football’s future—and its greatest asset—must remain in the hands of our football family“.
UEFA and FIFA, conflicting opinions
So what could happen next? CONCACAF does not carry the same weight as UEFA when it comes to dealing with FIFA. For example, there are 16 slots for European teams in the new, expanded men’s World Cup - that is a sizable chunk out of the 48 participants compared to the six slots allocated to the CONCACAF region. If UEFA press ahead with their promise to boycott FIFA tournaments, that would be a huge headache for Infantino.
The next men’s World Cup is four years away and a lot could happen between now and then, but the women’s tournament is scheduled for next year with 11 of the 32 slots set aside for UEFA teams. That’s nearly a third of those taking part. A boycott would also affect the two qualifying rounds, scheduled for October and December as well as the playoffs. If no resolution is found before the September 19 deadline, this would be the first FIFA tournament to be impacted by a boycott.
CONCACAF has expressed its dismay at FIFA’s plan but there was no mention of a boycott in yesterday’s statement, although that could change following today’s new developments.
Politics and soccer
Its statement was firm but diplomatic. Unlike Aleksander Cerefin, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has a good relationship with Infantino - one that goes back a long way. So it’s unlikely that we will see Montagliani jeopardizing that mutual support by siding with UEFA or rocking the boat.
From the wording of their statement, we can infer that CONCACAF is holding out for an amicable solution.
“As leaders within football, we are the custodians of the game. Collectively, FIFA, the Confederations and every Member Association have a responsibility to always act in the best interests of the sport. Every decision we make must be guided by good governance, robust processes and long-term stewardship.This is the framework within which Concacaf operates. We trust that all within the FIFA family will act in the same manner”.
In the modern world, nothing sacred is immune from being politicized, and/or monetized - and sadly that includes soccer. The next few weeks will be crucial in how UEFA’s standoff with FIFA pans out, and whether others will unite with them.
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