The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially rejected FIFA's controversial proposal to transfer the commercial management of the FIFA World Cup and other major tournaments to a privately backed investment structure. By opposing the initiative, the AFC joins UEFA and CONCACAF, significantly strengthening the resistance to one of Gianni Infantino's most ambitious projects.

The latest development casts fresh doubt over the future of the proposal and increases pressure on FIFA president Gianni Infantino. In its official statement, the AFC not only rejected the investment plan but also highlighted what it described as "fundamental shortcomings in FIFA's consultation and decision-making processes," insisting that those governance issues must be addressed before any major structural reforms can move forward.

Meanwhile, UEFA has reportedly warned that it could boycott FIFA competitions if the proposal is not withdrawn, further escalating the standoff between world football's governing body and several of its most influential continental confederations.

Gianni Infantino has previously stated that the creation of a new company to oversee the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup and other FIFA competitions would require the approval of a majority of the organization's 211 member associations. However, with opposition now coming from the 47 AFC members, 41 CONCACAF associations and 55 UEFA nations, a combined bloc of 143 member associations appears to stand against the proposal, making its approval increasingly unlikely.