UEFA to boycott World Cup if FIFA continues with plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors
UEFA's 55 member associations have voted to boycott the World Cup if FIFA continues with a plan to sell stakes in future competitions to private investors, the governing body of European football said Thursday.
The decision by UEFA was made at an emergency meeting on Thursday.
FIFA's plan to sell a minority stake in its commercial and event operations to private investors has been met with global backlash after its announcement earlier in the week. CONCACAF, the group that runs the sport in North America, Central America and parts of South America, also rejected the proposal after its members met Thursday afternoon.
UEFA made its opposition very clear in a statement, stating "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," the statement says.
The boycott would cover all FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Club.
The Women's World Cup playoffs are due to be held this October.
CONCACAF said Thursday its members had "deep concerns" about the plan.
"During the meeting, the membership expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies," a statement from the federation said. "In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned."
U.S. Soccer, which is a member of CONCACAF, said in a post on X Thursday that it was standing with the confederation and its members in opposition to FIFA's plan.
In a statement July 28 announcing its plan, FIFA said investors would be selected against "clear long-term, governance, and strategic criteria" and they would "represent a geographically diversified group that reflects the global nature of the game."
FIFA said the process would be achieved through a new subsidiary, the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would consolidate its commercial and event operations.
"As its global governing body, FIFA is responsible for making sure the game reaches every corner of the world, and that the value it creates supports federations and communities everywhere," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. "Our next stage of growth needs a structure built for it, one where the commercial side of the game operates as a focused, dedicated business, with its value shared more and better all around the world."
