A rift within Asian football
Qatar’s football association president, Hamad bin Khalifa Al‑Thani, has penned an open letter to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) chief Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al‑Khalifa, demanding an explanation for the confederation’s unprecedented public rebuke of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The AFC, together with UEFA and CONCACAF, issued a joint statement accusing Infantino of conduct that warranted resignation, specifically over his abortive plan to sell a 20 percent stake in World Cup commercial rights to private investors — a move that would have raised roughly $4.2 billion but was ultimately abandoned amid fierce opposition.
Al‑Thani, who sits on the AFC Executive Committee and the FIFA Council, criticised the statement for being released without prior notice, draft circulation or any opportunity for member feedback, insisting that such a collective action required proper consultation.
The letter comes at a time when six Arab national football association heads — including those from Qatar and Morocco — had initially voiced support for Infantino’s leadership, but now find themselves at odds as Al‑Thani’s challenge gains momentum.
Four of the six signatories — Al‑Thani, Egypt’s Hany Abo Rida, Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa and Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya — are also members of the FIFA Council, underscoring the personal stakes involved in the dispute.
When approached by Reuters, the AFC declined to comment, leaving the region’s football governing body silent on the matter and highlighting the depth of the internal rift.
The episode reflects broader divisions within the AFC over Infantino’s governance style and raises questions about the future direction of global football’s commercial and regulatory framework.