The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football on Thursday rejected FIFA’s proposal to sell minority stakes in its major tournaments, citing serious concerns over governance and transparency.
CONCACAF and its 41 member associations reached the decision during a meeting, stopping short of joining UEFA’s threat to boycott future FIFA competitions if the plan is approved.
In a statement, the confederation said members had raised “deep concerns” about the lack of due process, an inadequate consultation period, the short deadline imposed by FIFA, the absence of proper review by relevant governance bodies and insufficient transparency.
“The discussion reinforced the need for greater transparency and proper governance,” CONCACAF said. “For these reasons, CONCACAF and its 41 Member Associations have rejected the proposal.”
FIFA’s plan would create a commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to manage broadcasting rights, sponsorships, ticketing, licensing and event operations for competitions including the World Cup. FIFA would retain majority ownership and control over football matters while selling non-controlling stakes to long-term investors, aiming to raise up to $4.2 billion for global football development.
The proposal has faced strong opposition. UEFA earlier on Thursday voted unanimously to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, if the plan is approved, arguing the World Cup should not become a commercial asset.
CONCACAF focused its criticism on process rather than endorsing a boycott. FIFA is continuing consultations with its 211 member associations as President Gianni Infantino defends the initiative as a way to unlock greater commercial value and boost development funding.
