AFC lines up with Uefa and Concacaf against Fifa's private investment push

The Asian Football Confederation has formally sided with Uefa and Concacaf against Fifa president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in Fifa's competitions to private investors. In a statement released Friday, the AFC said the proposal could not "realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward." It called the World Cup the pinnacle of global football and said: "Any proposal that risks undermining the unity and universal character of the competition must be reconsidered." The AFC's position is a major obstacle for Infantino. The Fifa president had said the plan would need a straight majority of 106 votes from the 211 member associations to pass. Uefa and Concacaf hold 90 of those votes, while the AFC has 46 - so the proposal now looks far short of the support it would need. The AFC also criticized the way the plan was being handled, saying Fifa had set the "direction of travel" before talking to stakeholders. It added that Fifa's failure to consult member associations had "exposed fundamental weaknesses in Fifa's consultation and decision-making processes." The AFC said confederations, national associations and even the Fifa Council had been left feeling sidelined, and it called for an urgent review of Fifa's governance. The opposition has been building quickly. On Thursday, Uefa voted to boycott World Cups if the plan went ahead. Concacaf, which oversees football in North and Central America and hosted this year's World Cup, said its 41 member associations had rejected the proposal. Fifa responded early Friday by insisting the plan would continue, adding that "nobody is selling football" and blaming "incorrect media reports" for disrupting the consultation process. Fifa wants to create a commercial subsidiary to run its major events, including the World Cup, and allow outside investors to buy stakes. Uefa has accused Fifa of using football "to enrich themselves and their friends." Conmebol has not commented publicly, while CAF and OFC said they would discuss the matter in August.