The world's three largest football confederations – UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF – have begun talks on creating alternative tournaments amid a conflict with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The organizations accused him of "deception" and demanded an independent investigation into the cancelled plan to sell stakes in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, The Telegraph reports.

A plan to attract private investment into FIFA tournaments was cancelled on July 31 after widespread opposition. The conflict escalated following the publication of an investigation into UEFA's alleged compensation payment to a woman who allegedly had a relationship with Infantino during his tenure as UEFA Secretary General.

In an open letter, the heads of UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF said the FIFA president's credibility had been undermined and called for a full independent review of the project. The letter was signed by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani. The three confederations represent 143 of FIFA's 211 member national associations.

The document is seen as Infantino signaling the possibility of his voluntary resignation before the FIFA presidential elections scheduled for March. UEFA has also threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments unless it receives guarantees that the stake sale plan will not be revived in any form. The first event under threat of boycott could be the 2018 Women's U20 World Cup in Poland in September.