By Tolulope Oke

FIFA President Gianni Infantino came under renewed pressure on Monday after UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation jointly accused FIFA’s leadership of “deception” and a “fundamental breach of trust” over the failed attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup.

The three continental confederations signed an open letter to the global “football family”, intensifying the backlash against Infantino even though the document did not mention him by name.

In the three-page letter, the organisations rejected FIFA’s characterisation of the proposed World Cup stake sale as merely a “mistake”, arguing that the plan represented a much more serious failure of judgment.

“There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment – not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve,” the letter said.

UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC were among the confederations that opposed Infantino’s proposal before it was eventually abandoned.

UEFA has since gone further, threatening to boycott FIFA competitions while Infantino remains in office.

The fresh letter also criticised the way a FIFA management committee meeting was handled in Morocco last Wednesday.

That meeting ended with a public statement backing Infantino, but the confederations argued that FIFA should instead have addressed its wider senior leadership at the organisation’s headquarters in Switzerland.

“It is not the conduct of a custodian of the game, but of one who believes the game is answerable to him,” the letter said.

“There is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness.”

The intervention came about 24 hours after FIFA accused some critics of carrying out a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine the organisation and its president.

FIFA said allegations and insinuations were being used by people who lacked sufficient support among its member associations to remove Infantino through established electoral processes.

The controversy has also widened following fresh allegations connected to Infantino’s time at UEFA.

UEFA confirmed on Saturday that a departure payment was made to a female former employee who has been alleged to have had a relationship with Infantino while he served as the organisation’s general secretary.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the woman received a six-figure payment, while UEFA also covered the cost of an MBA programme.

UEFA said the payment complied with its regulations at the time.

“We are aware of the allegations and can confirm a departure payment was made to the individual in question, coupled with the payment of fees for a MBA course at a local business school,” a UEFA spokesperson said.

“The payment was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time.”

Infantino, who spent 16 years at UEFA before becoming FIFA president in 2016, has strongly denied the allegations.

FIFA has also defended its president, insisting that recent claims against him contained “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims”.

The governing body said Infantino remained focused on serving FIFA’s 211 member associations and continuing efforts to expand football globally.

However, the latest intervention from three major continental confederations has further deepened questions over Infantino’s position at the head of world football.