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UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC have kept up the pressure on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down with a scathing open letter.
The European, North American and Asian confederations accused Infantino of breaking trust "through deceptions" following the ill-fated FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) proposal.
FFE pledged to establish a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of all FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups, with a private investment company taking a 21% stake.
After widespread outcry surrounding the notion of the World Cup being "for sale", the plans were scrapped as UEFA led threats to boycott FIFA competitions.
The debacle placed a sharp focus on Infantino's ongoing suitability for his role, with the prior expectation that he would stand unopposed for a third term running until 2031 next year.
Opposition has not been unanimous, with CAF reconfirming "unanimous support" for Infantino and CONMEBOL saying it would reject any attempt to remove the president without a vote involving all 211 FIFA members. The national federations of Argentina and Mexico – the latter breaking ranks with CONCACAF – have also backed the 56-year-old.
FIFA issued a statement on August 9, criticizing "concerted and ongoing effort" to "undermine" Infantino following media allegations about his private life dating back to his time at UEFA.
MORE: What happens if Gianni Infantino resigns?
What did UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC say about FIFA president Infantino?
A day on from that intervention from FIFA, the European, North American and Asian federations made it clear that Infantino has fallen short of the demands of his office. The letter read:
Leadership in football is not a possession. 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.
The open letter also sought to address the perception that has gained traction among Infantino's defenders; that he has provided particular care to football's smaller and financially weaker nations and that any challenge to his power is a move by the rich to take from the poor.
"The growth over the past decade has been real. But that progress was never the work of one individual. It was the product of FIFA, the confederation, the member associations, and the thousands of people who dedicate their lives to the game," it read.
"The expanded tournaments, the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, the distribution of resources to associations. These were shared achievements, agreed together, delivered together.
"This is not about money. The confederations have already called for the responsible distribution of FIFA's vast existing reserves to further strengthen investment in the development of member associations.
"Nor is it about any member association losing the support it has earned, despite the fearmongering directed at our membership to suggest otherwise. Nor is it about revisiting the expansion of competitions, World Cup allocations or any other decisions reached collectively. Those decisions were made together, and they must stand.
"This is about something more fundamental: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it."
MORE: Who is for and against Gianni Infantino and what he needs to retain power
FIFA stands behind Infantino
A report by the Daily Telegraph on August 7 claimed that UEFA paid off an alleged lover of Infantino's while he was the organisation's general secretary. UEFA later confirmed that a "departure payment" had been made to the individual in question but that it was "in line" with regulations at the time.
A FIFA spokesperson told the Telegraph that Infantino "strongly denies" allegations that are "categorically untrue".
Two days after the Telegraph report, FIFA said: "It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its president.
"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.
"Recent reporting has included unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims concerning FIFA and its president. Speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact, and repetition does not make an allegation true."
The statement added: "FIFA welcomes legitimate scrutiny. But scrutiny is not a licence to distort facts, amplify unsubstantiated allegations or manufacture distractions designed to undermine progress. Where reporting is inaccurate or misleading, FIFA will challenge it directly and vigorously."
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