UEFA, Concacaf and AFC Draw Up Alternative Vision for FIFA Governance

A growing alliance of football’s major continental confederations is preparing a new blueprint for how the global game should be governed, amid an escalating confrontation with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are understood to be working together on a policy document that would outline a possible alternative model for FIFA. The initiative reflects mounting frustration over what the three organisations regard as an increasingly centralised and opaque style of leadership under Infantino.

People familiar with the discussions say the group is considering fundamental questions about FIFA's future. These include the organisation's core responsibilities, the way its leadership should be structured, how decisions should be made and how FIFA's substantial financial resources should be distributed among its members.

The use of FIFA's reserves is expected to be a particularly important issue. With the governing body holding billions of dollars in reserves, the confederations want to examine whether the money could be distributed and invested in a way that provides greater long-term benefits for national associations and football development.

The move comes after a major dispute over Infantino's recently abandoned proposal to create a commercial vehicle that would allow private investors to acquire an interest in World Cup-related assets. FIFA eventually withdrew the plan following widespread opposition, but the episode has deepened concerns among several of its most powerful members about transparency and consultation.

Rather than waiting for FIFA's leadership to initiate the governance review they have requested, UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC have begun developing their own proposals. The resulting framework could eventually become the platform for a challenger seeking to defeat Infantino in FIFA's next presidential election.

There is also a more dramatic possibility. If the dispute cannot be resolved, the proposals could potentially provide the foundations for an alternative structure outside FIFA, although such a development would represent an extraordinary rupture in international football.

The three confederations have already signalled that they are prepared to consider more direct action. In a joint statement, they called for leadership that serves football rather than concentrates power, while discussions have reportedly begun about the possibility of staging alternative competitions if the conflict with FIFA's leadership continues.

UEFA's position has become particularly confrontational. European officials have threatened to boycott FIFA competitions unless the governing body agrees to an independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the World Cup investment proposal and provides firm guarantees that similar decisions will not be made without proper consultation in the future.

One immediate consequence could involve the Under-20 Women's World Cup. UEFA has indicated that European teams could withdraw from the tournament if FIFA fails to respond to its demands quickly enough.

The growing alliance also has potential implications for the FIFA presidency. Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is currently viewed as one of the strongest possible candidates to challenge Infantino. Montagliani has previously insisted that his immediate priority is securing his own re-election at Concacaf, but his public comments about leadership and accountability have closely reflected the language now being used by FIFA's critics.

The political manoeuvring is intensifying as senior European football officials gather in Salzburg for meetings surrounding the UEFA Super Cup. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin is expected to meet with Nasser Al-Khelaifi, chairman of European Football Clubs, as European football seeks to maintain a united position over FIFA's leadership.

The meetings come at a critical moment for Infantino. Although FIFA has apologised for mistakes surrounding the failed investment initiative and withdrawn the proposal, opposition from major confederations has continued.

What began as a dispute over one controversial commercial proposal has therefore evolved into a much broader argument about who should control the future of global football.

For the first time in years, influential parts of the football world are not simply demanding changes from FIFA—they are beginning to consider what a different FIFA could actually look like.