Uefa will boycott the World Cup and all Fifa competitions if Gianni Infantino’s controversial plans to sell off stakes in its major tournaments to external investors are voted through.
“Uefa and its 55 member associations stand as one,” a statement said following an emergency Uefa meeting on Thursday. “We unanimously and unequivocally reject Fifa’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors.
“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.
“As a result of today’s discussion, no Uefa national teams will participate in any Fifa competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that Fifa will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.”
Uefa were left dismayed that Infantino has given Fifa’s member associations just 53 days to decide their position and were outraged by Infantino promising a $40m (£30m) windfall to nations who back the proposals, or have the one-off payment withdrawn. Uefa’s statement added: “National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences. This is not a ‘democratic decision’, but governance by intimidation – an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.”
A spokeswoman for the English FA echoed the Uefa sentiment, saying: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view. We oppose Fifa’s plans – the Fifa World Cup belongs to football and always will.”
Uefa previously said that Infantino’s plans to sell off stakes in Fifa’s major tournaments to private investors, including members of Donald Trump’s family, “crossed a line”. Uefa also knows it will require support from another confederation to block Infantino’s plans, as Fifa only requires a majority (50 per cent plus one) vote from its 211 member associations.
Follow all the latest news after Uefa’s bombshell boycott threat, below
What tournaments will Uefa’s boycott cover?
It will cover all Fifa-sanctioned tournaments covering national teams. As it stands, the boycott will not cover club teams, meaning the planned 2029 Fifa Club World Cup would not be affected.
As such, the first senior tournament would be the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup, taking place between 24 June and 25 July, in Brazil next year.
Europe have 11 guaranteed slots in the 32-team competition. Spain are the defending champions, while England were finalists last time out in Australia.
England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all have scheduled play-off qualifiers in October, which are organised by Uefa. Whether these matches specifically will go ahead, therefore, is yet to be confirmed.
The next men’s World Cup takes place in 2030 in Spain, Portugal and Morocco – with opening games in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
The next Fifa tournament at any age group is the 2026 Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which starts on 5 September in Poland. Six European teams, including England, were set to compete.
The 2026 Fifa Under-17 World Cup, for which England did not qualify, starts on 19 November in Qatar.
What have Uefa agreed?
An emergency virtual meeting on Thursday was held between all 55 national associations which are members of Uefa, European football’s governing body.
In a lengthy statement, Uefa confirmed that “no Uefa national teams will participate in any Fifa competition for so long as these proposals remain alive” – adding “unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that Fifa will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.”
It added: “Nobody should be in any doubt: Uefa and its national associations will oppose these plans with absolute determination.”
What have Caf said?
Caf, the confederation for Africa, displayed an openness to consider the proposal by Fifa and encouraged other members to take a similar attitude.
“The Confederation Africaine de Football (Caf) received correspondence today from Fifa on the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise initiative, in accordance with the consultation process that is currently underway with Fifa Member Associations and the Fifa Council,” a statement read.
“As part of this consultation process, the Caf President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, will host a meeting of the Caf Executive Committee next week, to inter-alia, assess and evaluate the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise initiative.
“Caf also encourages its Member Associations to examine the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal and participate in the consultation process in accordance with Caf and Fifa’s regulations and established procedures.
“Caf is committed to continue consulting and working together with its Member Associations, Fifa, other Football Confederations and stakeholders in support of increasing financial and other resources for the development and growth of football in Africa and worldwide.”
What have the AFC said?
The AFC, Asia’s confederation, echoed the concerns of Concacaf surrounding the lack of consultation from Fifa.
Its statement read: “The AFC was not consulted on the proposal and is disappointed that a matter of such significance entered the public domain before the AFC family had been afforded the opportunity to examine and discuss it through the appropriate and established governance channels.
“While the AFC recognises the importance of exploring innovative approaches that can strengthen the future of global football, initiatives of this scale and consequence must be founded upon the principles of good governance, transparency and meaningful consultation.
“Decisions that may reshape the commercial and financial future of the game require comprehensive prior engagement with Confederations, Member Associations and other relevant stakeholders before any proposal is made to the appropriate decision-making body(ies).
“The AFC firmly believes that all stakeholders should be provided with sufficient information and adequate time to assess the proposal in full, including its governance, legal, commercial and strategic implications.
“Such a process is essential to ensuring that any decision reflects the collective interests of the global football community and reinforces confidence in Fifa’s governance framework.
“As one of global football’s six Confederations, the AFC remains committed to the continued growth of world football.”
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa branded Fifa’s lack of consultation with its members as “totally unacceptable in a latter to the regional body’s 47 member federations on Thursday, adding: “The AFC notes with great concern and disappointment that it was not consulted by FIFA at any level prior to the public announcement of this proposal.
“And nor has it received any detailed governance, financial or legal analysis of the proposal and its potential repercussions, which is totally unacceptable.
“Furthermore, the AFC is deeply concerned that Fifa’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football, which are based on solidarity, cooperation and transparency.”
What have Concacaf already said?
Concacaf, football’s governing body for the Caribbean and North America, has already strongly criticised Fifa for failing to consult them over its shock plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.
“Concacaf was only made aware of this matter through media reports and, subsequently, via a media release,” a statement on Wednesday read. “We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process.
“We share the disappointment of many within our region and the game that this level of detail has been designed and shared publicly before any discussion with the relevant governance bodies and stakeholders has taken place.
“As leaders within football, we are the custodians of the game. Collectively, Fifa, the Confederations and every Member Association have a responsibility to always act in the best interests of the sport. Every decision we make must be guided by good governance, robust processes and long-term stewardship.
“This is the framework within which Concacaf operates. We trust that all within the Fifa family will act in the same manner.”
Note that this initial statement does not outright condemn the plans, rather expressing an anger at not being consulted.
Concacaf meeting penned in after Uefa boycott
Uefa delivered the strongest response possible to Gianni Infantino’s sell-off plan – now it’s the turn of other confederations to come together and discuss their stance.
Concacaf appear to be next – they will meet at 5:30pm today.
‘Football is not for sale’: Uefa confirms boycott of World Cup and Fifa competitions
Uefa has announced that it will stage full boycott of Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, if Gianni Infantino’s controversial plans to sell off stakes in its tournament to private investors are voted through.
Jamie Braidwood brings you the full story:
FA: ‘We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues’
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view,” an FA spokeswoman said.
“We oppose Fifa’s plans – the Fifa World Cup belongs to football and always will.”
More from Uefa statement: ‘World Cup belongs to football’
“Nobody should be in any doubt: Uefa and its national associations will oppose these plans with absolute determination,” finishes the Uefa statement.
“There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they are prepared to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise. This is one of those moments.
“Some things are simply too important to sell. The Fifa World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”
