Asian confederation joins revolt over FIFA World Cup stake sale
What's new: With Asia joining UEFA and Concacaf, opposition now covers 143 of FIFA's 211 members, making approval far less likely.
The Asian Football Confederation lined up Friday with UEFA and Concacaf against FIFA's plan to sell stakes in a commercial unit tied to its top competitions, escalating pressure on President Gianni Infantino. The AFC said it stood in solidarity with the other confederations and warned the proposal lacked the broad consensus needed to move ahead. The backlash widened further when FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour criticized the plan as "the project of one person," and senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, calling it "a bad deal for football." FIFA has said the new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, could raise $4.2 billion later this year. Approval would require a simple majority of FIFA's 211 members.