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The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), along with its 41 member nations, rejected the proposal by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to create the FIFA Forward Enterprise and sell shares in the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup to private investors, as stated in an official communication from the confederation.

Reasons for CONCACAF Members' Refusal

The decision was made following a meeting attended by the presidents of CONCACAF member associations, the president of the confederation, members of the CONCACAF Council, and CONCACAF representatives on the FIFA Council. Participants expressed concern over the lack of proper review procedures, artificially compressed timelines for considering the proposal, and the fact that it had not been reviewed or approved by the relevant FIFA governing bodies.

Position on Funding

Furthermore, they questioned the necessity of attracting private investment to fund FIFA Forward programs, especially after noting that the FIFA World Cup is the most profitable tournament in its history. Following discussions, CONCACAF and its members rejected the proposal and instructed their representatives on the FIFA Council to insist that FIFA use its substantial reserves to increase funding for football development programs in the region.

Requirements for Future Initiatives

Representatives were also instructed to demand that the FIFA President ensure that similar proposals in the future are considered in accordance with established FIFA governance procedures, through the organization's appropriate bodies and the FIFA Council, according to the FIFA Statutes. CONCACAF emphasized that over the past decade, it has built an organization based on serving football, transparent governance, and responsible long-term sports development. The confederation added that the future of football and its most valuable assets must remain under the management of the football community.

Reaction from Other Football Bodies

Previously, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) stated that all 55 of its associations are prepared to boycott FIFA competitions due to plans to transfer a share of the commercial rights to the FIFA World Cup to private investors.

The Turkish football club Istanbul Başakşehir, which features Uzbek players Eldor Shomurodov and Abbosbek Faizullaev, has been excluded from the UEFA Conference League.

Course of the qualifying round

The elimination occurred after the team suffered a 2-0 defeat to the Finnish club Inter Turku in the second match of the second qualifying round.

The Finnish team secured the victory thanks to goals from Jasse Tuominen and Clinton Jeffty. Because of this, Inter Turku advanced to the next stage of the tournament, and Başakşehir's European journey ended. The first match between the teams ended in a 1-1 draw.

Changes in the squad and game flow

Abbosbek Faizullaev came onto the field at the beginning of the second half, while Eldor Shomurodov was substituted in the 77th minute. Despite these substitutions, the Turkish side could not change the course of the match.

The game proceeded without red cards. The referee issued four yellow cards, one of which was shown to Başakşehir defender Onur Bulut.