Conmebol calls emergency meeting as Infantino's FFE plan divides

Conmebol announced on Friday it will hold an extraordinary council meeting to examine FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s proposal to create a company that would run FIFA tournaments and sell twenty percent of its shares to private investors, though the exact date of the session was not disclosed. The federation stressed that “O FUTEBOL VEM EM PRIMEIRO LUGAR.”

By contrast, three other continental bodies – UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation – have already voiced opposition to the plan. UEFA even warned it would boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if the proposal were approved.

The African Football Confederation (CAF) and the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) have followed a similar path, calling their member associations together to discuss the project before issuing any formal stance.

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Conmebol’s communiqué said it has begun a consultation process with its member associations and summoned its council solely to analyse and evaluate the proposal with the responsibility and rigor the matter demands for the future of Futebol.

The South American federation also asked Fifa for additional information and clarification on various aspects of the FFE project, including its scope, structure, governance and potential effects.

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In its statement, signed by CONMEBOL, the organization reiterated that football’s values, its people and its passion must remain paramount, declaring “O FUTEBOL VEM EM PRIMEIRO LUGAR” and insisting that commercial decisions should never outweigh the sport’s essence.

Conmebol pledged to act prudently, responsibly and collaboratively, urging the entire football family to keep the game above any other interest and to strengthen the sport through institutional channels and good‑governance principles.