UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation have accused FIFA of breaking the trust of world football “through deception”, piling further pressure on president Gianni Infantino in the wake of the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.

In a strongly-worded open letter signed by the presidents and general secretaries of the three confederations, the governing bodies said the controversy surrounding the failed investment plan had become a matter of “the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it.”

FFE would have created a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights for FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, with a 21% stake earmarked for sale to private investors.

The proposal was scrapped following widespread opposition, led by UEFA, which has already threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if similar plans are revived.

The letter stopped short of naming Infantino directly but delivered a scathing assessment of FIFA’s leadership.

“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” the statement read.

“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.”

Reports claim the letter should be viewed as an opportunity for Infantino to resign voluntarily and leave office with dignity.

Pressure continues to build on Infantino

The statement comes just days after FIFA accused critics of conducting a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine both the organisation and its president.

UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC also criticised FIFA’s handling of last week’s management board meeting in Rabat, Morocco, claiming Infantino excluded FIFA Council members and member associations while summoning only senior FIFA employees.

The confederations argued FIFA’s subsequent apology over the handling of the FFE proposal failed to address the central issue.

“It did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong,” the letter said.

“There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgement.

“Not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.”

Although FIFA has pledged to present a report on the episode at the next FIFA Council meeting, expected in October, the three confederations insist any investigation must be conducted independently.

“It fails to recognise that proper governance in the face of such a profound lack of judgement would require that such a review be conducted by a fully independent third party,” the letter added.