Conmebol spoke out for the first time after the crisis generated by the commercial project presented by FIFA: “Football comes first”

The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) announced on Friday that it has initiated a process of consultations with its ten member associations regarding a controversial commercial proposal introduced by FIFA. The move follows a crisis triggered by FIFA president Gianni Infantino's project to create a new entity, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), aimed at commercializing the World Cup and selling organization events and commercial rights to private parties.

As part of this consultative process, Conmebol has formally requested additional information from FIFA to better understand the scope and implications of the initiative. Breaking its silence on the matter for the first time, the South American governing body emphasized its stance by stating that "football comes first."

The FIFA proposal has generated wider friction within international football governance, drawing scrutiny and similar concerns from other confederations such as Concacaf. Conmebol stated it will evaluate the plan thoroughly alongside its regional partners before determining its position on the commercial restructuring led by the global governing body.