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A growing rift within Asian soccer over the future of FIFA has burst into the open with Qatar challenging the Asian Football Confederation over its decision to join UEFA and CONCACAF \u200bin a sweeping attack on embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino.<\/strong><\/p>\n Qatar Football Association President Hamad \u200cbin Khalifa Al-Thani wrote in a letter to AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa that neither he nor the QFA had been consulted before the three confederations issued an open letter on Monday purporting to speak \u200bcollectively for their members.<\/p>\n Infantino, who is seeking reelection next year, has faced open revolt after UEFA, \u200bthe AFC and CONCACAF attacked his conduct and called for him to quit \u2060over his aborted bid to bring private investment into FIFA competitions like the World Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cA collective view \u200bmust first be ascertained; it cannot be presumed, and it cannot be brought into existence by declaration,\u201d \u200bAl-Thani, an AFC Executive Committee member and FIFA Council member, wrote in the letter seen by Reuters.<\/p>\n He asked the AFC to explain what consultation had taken place and on what basis it considered itself authorised to speak collectively for \u200bits 47 member associations.<\/p>\n The AFC declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.<\/p>\n The intervention exposes divisions \u200bwithin the AFC at a critical moment in the battle over Infantino\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n In his letter to the AFC president, \u200cAl-Thani \u2060said, \u201cneither the QFA, nor I personally \u2026 was consulted, whether formally or informally, prior to the issuance of the statement.<\/p>\n \u201cNo advance notice was given, no draft was circulated, and no opportunity was afforded to comment on, or contribute to, its content before it was released publicly in AFC\u2019s name and on behalf \u200bof AFC\u2019s members.\u201d<\/p>\n The challenge \u200bcomes after six heads of \u2060Arab national football associations \u2014 including Qatar and 2030 World Cup co-hosts Morocco \u2014 backed Infantino on Thursday amid FIFA\u2019s crisis following the failed private investment proposal.<\/p>\n Four \u200bof the six signatories \u2014 Al-Thani, the head of Egypt\u2019s football federation, Hany \u200bAbo Rida, \u2060Morocco\u2019s Fouzi Lekjaa and Mauritania\u2019s Ahmed Yahya \u2014 are also FIFA Council members.<\/p>\n \u201cWe deeply appreciate Mr Infantino\u2019s sustained efforts to advance football globally, expand opportunities across all regions and strengthen the game\u2019s role in bringing people \u2060and communities \u200btogether,\u201d they had said.<\/p>\n Infantino proposed carving off the commercial rights \u200bto the World Cup and selling 20% to private investors to raise about $4.2 billion before a U-turn following the furore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n