CAF to stage urgent executive talks over Infantino World Cup share-sale plan

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has moved to address growing controversy over Gianni Infantino’s latest World Cup project by calling an urgent meeting of its executive committee next week.

FIFA revealed on Tuesday that its president intends to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup in the form of shares to private-sector investors, with Infantino set to assume a role comparable to that of a commissioner in the new structure.

FIFA’s statement has triggered a wave of angry responses, particularly from UEFA and a number of national associations, including the English FA, who have raised concerns over the nature and implications of the plan.

In its first formal reaction to the proposal, CAF announced on Wednesday that it will convene its executive committee, chaired by president Patrice Motsepe, after receiving an official letter from FIFA detailing the project.

CAF to scrutinise FIFA proposal

CAF said the upcoming meeting will be dedicated to examining FIFA’s suggested model in depth. The executive committee will review, assess and study the proposal before forming and communicating a clear position on the initiative.

The African body stressed that the decision to hold the session followed the arrival of comprehensive documentation from FIFA, outlining how the proposed share sale and governance changes around the World Cup would work in practice.

CAF also urged its member associations across the continent to undertake their own evaluations of the project and to submit their views, so that African perspectives can be fed into FIFA’s ongoing consultation process with both confederations and national federations.

According to CAF, these internal consultations are intended to ensure that any African stance on the proposed World Cup investment model reflects the collective opinions of its national associations rather than solely that of its executive leadership.

Emphasis on consultation and financial growth

In its statement, CAF reiterated its commitment to continued dialogue and cooperation with its member federations, FIFA and the other continental confederations as discussions over the future of the World Cup’s commercial structure develop.

The organisation underlined that any engagement with FIFA’s initiative will be guided by a desire to “support the increase of the financial resources required for the development and growth of football”, signalling that potential revenue gains will be a key consideration as it weighs its response.

CAF did not indicate when a final position might be made public, but made clear that its executive committee and member associations will play a central role in shaping Africa’s contribution to the global debate surrounding Infantino’s World Cup share-sale concept.