Three of Gianni Infantino’s vice-presidents have begun talks to set up breakaway competitions in response to the FIFA president’s failed plan to sell off a stake in the World Cup.

The leaders of UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF, which represents North, Central America and Caribbean football, are understood to want players to have meaningful opportunities to compete in the event of a World Cup boycott, which is still being threatened by UEFA. Discussions on any alternative competitions are at a preliminary stage.

The three deputies have also accused Infantino of “deception” and called for an independent investigation into the doomed World Cup sale, which was scrapped on July 31 after widespread opposition.

An open letter from the presidents and general secretaries of UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF says that trust has been broken.

The letter is being viewed as a move that gives Infantino, 56, the chance to resign and leave his position with dignity rather than extend the civil war by seeking re-election in March.

The three football federations to sign the letter represent 143 nations and cast further doubt on whether Infantino would have enough support if he stands in the presidential election.

The letter was endorsed by US Soccer, Canada Soccer, the Caribbean Football Union and the Central American Football Union, which are “calling for meaningful change that strengthens FIFA’s governance, transparency and accountability”.

Each of FIFA’s 211 member associations will have one vote in the election, regardless of size, meaning the on-field footballing power of the European nations does not reflect its voting influence. UEFA has 55 votes. The other five confederations account for 156 votes. The situation remains fluid; Mexico, for example, is part of CONCACAF but has expressed support for Infantino.

The Mexican Football Federation’s support means Mexico stands alone as the only pro-Infantino country in the region.

The scandal started with Infantino’s proposal for private investment in its tournaments ramped up over the weekend after a Telegraph investigation revealed UEFA paid off an alleged lover of Infantino while he was its general secretary.

Proposal was a fundamental breach of trust

“Leadership in football is not a possession,” says the letter, signed by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, AFC president Salman bin Ibrahim al Khalifa and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani.

“It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it. When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”

All three regional leaders are vice-presidents of FIFA by virtue of their roles for their regions.

The letter also responds to FIFA statements since the sell-off plan was dropped and Infantino’s attempts to shore up support in Morocco. UEFA has threatened a boycott of FIFA events unless it receives assurances that the plan to sell stakes in competitions cannot return. The first age-group FIFA tournament that could be boycotted is the under-20 women’s World Cup, in Poland in September.

The letter says the three confederations are “representing [their] members”, which would make up well over half the FIFA membership, in writing the letter.

“This is about something more fundamental: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it,” it says, criticising FIFA’s recent letter to the 211 member associations which accepted that mistakes were made.

The letter continues: “[FIFA] did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong. There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment – not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.”

‘This is not the conduct of a custodian of the game’

Of the planned report into how the idea came about, the letter says FIFA is “once again failing to recognise that proper governance in the face of such a profound lack of judgment would require that such a review be conducted by a fully independent third party, not by FIFA itself, its staff, or by any stakeholder within football”.

The letter concludes: “There is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness.

“These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve.”

On Saturday, FIFA issued a statement defending Infantino against what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine him and the world governing body.

“Those who do not have the support of FIFA’s member associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes,” FIFA’s statement said.

The Telegraph, London