Qatar FA Questions AFC Authority Over UEFA-Backed Letter Criticising FIFA President Infantino

The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has renewed its criticism of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), expressing concern over the body’s decision to sign a joint letter with UEFA and CONCACAF that questioned FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s leadership without consulting its member associations.

The controversy centres on a letter signed by the three confederations that criticised Infantino’s handling of a failed proposal to introduce private investment into the FIFA World Cup. The move triggered an open dispute within football’s governing circles, with the FIFA president — who is expected to seek re-election next year — facing growing opposition over his leadership style.

QFA President Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, a long-time supporter of Infantino, said the AFC’s response to Qatar’s initial complaint had failed to address key concerns and instead “raised considerably more questions than it answers.”

Qatar was among six AFC members that publicly backed Infantino during the dispute, which began after the collapse of the private investment proposal.

The public exchange between senior AFC officials is highly unusual, as the confederation traditionally handles internal disagreements behind closed doors.

In a strongly worded letter issued on Tuesday, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa rejected Qatar’s claim that he overstepped his authority by signing the joint statement.

The Bahraini administrator insisted he had both the mandate and responsibility to take action in defence of Asian football’s interests. He also criticised the QFA for focusing on procedural issues rather than what he described as the wider interests of the game.

However, Al-Thani maintained that Sheikh Salman did not have the authority to represent all 47 AFC member associations without prior approval.

The QFA president argued that the AFC president’s powers are determined by the confederation’s executive committee and cannot be extended without formal authorisation from member associations.

The dispute highlights growing divisions within Asian football as Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president approaches, with questions over governance, transparency and decision-making processes continuing to dominate discussions within the sport’s leadership structures.