The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has joined UEFA and CONCACAF in opposing FIFA’s controversial proposal to establish a $20 billion FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), intensifying pressure on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to declare its position on the plan.

In a statement released on Friday, the AFC expressed its “deep concern” over FIFA’s proposal to create the commercial subsidiary, which would oversee the management and commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup and other major tournaments.

The confederation said it stands in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF, both of which have already rejected the proposal. However, unlike UEFA, the AFC stopped short of threatening to boycott FIFA competitions.

“The fact that the situation has reached the point where the real possibility of a FIFA World Cup boycott has entered public discourse should concern everyone who cares about the future of our game,” the AFC said.

“Football should never have been placed in such a position.”

The latest development follows UEFA’s unanimous decision on Thursday to boycott FIFA competitions unless the governing body withdraws the proposal. CONCACAF has also publicly rejected the plan, citing governance and consultation concerns.

Earlier this week, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa described the manner in which the proposal was introduced as “totally unacceptable” in a letter sent to member associations.

The AFC argued that the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise lacks the broad consensus needed to move forward, stressing that the FIFA World Cup derives its global significance from the participation and unity of all six continental confederations.

“The proposed FFE cannot realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward,” the statement noted.

The confederation also criticised FIFA’s leadership and decision-making process, saying the proposal has exposed “fundamental weaknesses” in the organisation’s governance and consultation mechanisms.

Although FIFA later stated that every national football association should have the opportunity to review the proposal and help shape its future, the AFC maintained that key issues surrounding governance, institutional processes and meaningful consultation remain unresolved.

According to the AFC, the current controversy should serve as a turning point for institutional reform within FIFA.

“Meaningful democracy is not measured solely by the opportunity to vote,” the statement said.

“It begins with transparent governance, timely consultation, informed deliberation and genuine participation throughout the decision-making process.”

With three of football’s major continental confederations now united against the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, attention is increasingly shifting to CAF, whose stance could play a decisive role in determining the future of the initiative.