Asian football body joins Europe and Americas to block FIFA privatisation plan
The Asian Football Confederation has aligned with European and American counterparts to block FIFA’s plan to sell competition stakes to private investors, effectively killing the privatisation push by securing a mathematical majority against it.
The Asian Football Confederation has formally opposed FIFA’s proposal to sell stakes in its major competitions to private investors. The move aligns the Asian body with European and American football authorities, creating an insurmountable mathematical barrier against the privatisation effort.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino requires a simple majority of 106 votes from the 211 member associations to pass the commercial subsidiary plan. With UEFA and Concacaf controlling 90 votes and the AFC holding 46, the combined opposition of 136 members ensures the proposal will fail if put to a vote. This effectively shuts down a major potential avenue for private equity and corporate investment in global football assets.
The AFC stated it "stands in solidarity" with the other continental bodies, arguing the initiative cannot "realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward". It warned that any move risking the universal character of the World Cup "must be reconsidered".
Beyond the financial mechanics, the Asian governing body heavily criticised FIFA’s internal processes. It accused the global authority of dictating the "direction of travel" for major initiatives before consulting stakeholders, exposing "fundamental weaknesses" in its decision-making framework.
The AFC noted that the lack of engagement has left "Confederations, Member Associations and even Fifa's own governing bodies, including the Fifa Council, feeling sidelined". It is now demanding an urgent review of FIFA's governance to ensure proper oversight for proposals of global significance.
The Asian opposition follows a decisive move by UEFA, which voted on Thursday to boycott the World Cup if the privatisation plan advances. European leaders accused FIFA of attempting to use the sport "to enrich themselves and their friends". Concacaf, which hosted this year's tournament, also confirmed its 41 members rejected the proposal.
FIFA has vowed to press ahead with the commercial subsidiary, insisting that "nobody is selling football". The governing body defended the structure, claiming external investment would not compromise the "spirit or governance" of the organisation, while blaming "incorrect media reports" for disrupting the consultation process.
The fate of the proposal now rests with the remaining continental bodies. South America’s Conmebol has yet to issue a public statement, while the African and Oceanian confederations are scheduled to debate the plan in August.
