AFC President: FIFA's World Cup commercialization proposal was not communicated in advance and was a unilateral action.

According to Reuters, AFC President Salman said that FIFA's lack of prior communication regarding its plan to sell World Cup-related shares to private investors was "completely unacceptable," and that the move undermines the existing continental football system.

The Bahraini football official made a rare strong statement. Salman 's remarks appeared in a letter sent Thursday to the 47 member associations of the Asian Football Confederation, the contents of which were obtained by Reuters.

FIFA announced on Tuesday plans to establish a $20 billion commercial subsidiary to manage the World Cup and other tournaments. This plan has drawn criticism from several regional football federations, including the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The AFC stated that they were informed of the plan without prior communication.

In his letter, Salman wrote: “The AFC is deeply concerned and disappointed that FIFA did not consult with the AFC at any level before the proposal was publicly announced. Furthermore, the AFC has not received any detailed governance, financial, or legal analysis of the proposal and its potential impact, which is completely unacceptable. More importantly, the AFC is deeply concerned that FIFA’s unilateral action appears to be undermining the foundations of continental football, which are built on the principles of unity, cooperation, and transparency.”

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, is one of FIFA's six continental federations and is responsible for managing national team and club competitions covering the Asian continent, the Middle East, and Australia.

Salman stated that the plan would not be successful without the support of all continental football federations. He called for a "full review and discussion" of FIFA President Gianni Infantino's proposal through appropriate legal and governance channels. He also questioned the excessive timeframe given to member associations for approval.

This week, Gianni Infantino stated in a letter to FIFA's 211 member associations that each association would receive $40 million if they agreed to FIFA's proposal by September 19.

In his letter, Salman wrote: “The AFC is also surprised by the current timeline. For such an important proposal, member associations have had extremely limited time to evaluate it, and such decisions should never be rushed. The AFC urges all member associations to await the outcome of these consultations and the completion of the necessary review process before taking any position on the proposal. I assure you that the AFC remains committed to constructive cooperation with all member associations, FIFA, and relevant stakeholders to promote football and ensure that the sport’s continued growth is built on trust, transparency, and solidarity.”

As of now, FIFA has not immediately responded to Reuters' request for comment on the letter.