The letter was signed by AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, along with the general secretaries of the three confederations.

The organisations stressed that leadership in football is not an individual's property but a responsibility entrusted to them by the wider football family.

According to the joint letter, when trust is broken through deception and an individual begins to consider themselves above the collective system that gave them authority, the responsibility of leadership is compromised.

Confederations reject FIFA's explanation

The three confederations also referred to a recent FIFA letter informing its 211 member associations and FIFA vice presidents about the controversy.

FIFA described the incident as a failure of communication, but the AFC, UEFA and CONCACAF rejected that characterisation, saying the events represented a failure of decision-making rather than simply a communication problem.

They alleged that a proposal was advanced within a limited timeframe, without meaningful consultation and against a deadline that did not give member associations sufficient opportunity to properly examine its terms.

The confederations also criticised FIFA for failing to acknowledge that the proposal itself was fundamentally flawed.

According to the letter, the reported attempt to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup was not merely a procedural mistake but a serious failure in decision-making and a fundamental breach of trust with the organisations FIFA was established to serve.

Call for an independent investigation

The three confederations also objected to FIFA's proposal to conduct an internal review of the matter. Although FIFA has announced that a full report will be presented to the FIFA Council, the AFC, UEFA and CONCACAF said an issue of such seriousness should be investigated by a completely independent third party.

They argued that FIFA management, staff and other football stakeholders should have no role in the investigation. The organisations also called for all relevant documents and records to be preserved.

The letter further raised questions about a recent meeting held in Morocco. According to the confederations, FIFA's own communication confirmed that only one elected official attended the meeting.

They said no FIFA Council member or member association had been invited, while only some members of the management committee made up of senior FIFA executives attended.

The three confederations argued that inviting selected members of the management committee abroad, rather than the full committee, further strengthened concerns surrounding the conduct that led to the current controversy.

'This is about football's integrity'

The AFC, UEFA and CONCACAF stressed that their objections were not about money or previously agreed collective decisions concerning football.

They said the development of football over the past decade had not been the achievement of any single individual, but the result of collective efforts by FIFA, the confederations, member associations and thousands of people working across the sport.

They said major decisions concerning the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, tournament expansion and the allocation of resources to member associations had been made collectively and should continue to be handled in the same manner.

The three confederations also stressed that FIFA's substantial financial reserves should be used responsibly for the development of member associations. However, they maintained that the current dispute was fundamentally about the integrity of football and the role and responsibilities of its leadership.

The joint letter said that where accountability should exist, there was silence, and where transparency was expected, there was distance. The confederations said these were not the qualities football should expect from its leadership.

Concluding the letter, the AFC, UEFA and CONCACAF emphasised that the strength of football has always depended on its unity. They said its leadership should serve football rather than attempt to place the sport under individual control.

The letter was signed by AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, AFC General Secretary Windsor John, CONCACAF General Secretary Philippe Moggio and UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis.