World football is on the brink of civil war after European governing body UEFA revealed it will boycott the World Cup if FIFA presses ahead with its controversial private investor plan.
FIFA and president Gianni Infantino sparked immediate worldwide backlash after unveiling a scheme to create a semi-private subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise, with the sporting body holding a majority share.
It would leave its 211 member nations with a 20 per cent share, with the remaining 20-30 per cent stake sold off to private investors.
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The response has been scathing, with UEFA and North and Central American body CONCACAF among those protesting the plan.
And UEFA have now escalated matters even further, with its 55 member nations voting unanimously to boycott all FIFA-run events – including the men’s and women’s World Cups – if it goes ahead.
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“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 said in a statement.
“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product … no part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.
“It is both irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game. This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football.”
England’s Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the country’s sporting administration, The Football Association, would have the support of the government.
“Football belongs to the fans, not billionaire investors. Enough is enough. It’s time to take a stand to protect our game,” she said.
The fracture leaves Infantino’s job hanging by a thread, with UEFA reportedly backing a leadership spill.
The Telegraph have reported the body supports Qatari sports executive and Paris Saint-Germain owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi as leader.
One unnamed source told the outlet that they would support anyone to succeed Infantino … except for US President Donald Trump and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
UEFA have a long and tumultuous relationship with Infantino, who was previously the body’s secretary-general during his time at FIFA’s helm.
In 2021, a plan from the Swiss administrator to hold a World Cup every two years saw the conference threaten to allow member nations to elect to boycott the tournament.
FIFA had hoped to raise up to $4.2 billion from the sale, based on a valuation of $20 billion for the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative.
If approved, the project could provide each of FIFA’s 211 member associations with a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027 and increase their funding allocation for the 2027-2030 cycle from $8.0 million to $20 million.
A $40 million carrot dangled in front of each association by Infantino to allow the move to go ahead immediately led to allegations of bribery.
But UEFA’s boycott instantly cripples those plans, with a World Cup shorn of European powerhouses, including reigning men’s and women’s champions Spain, 2018 winners France and 2026 semi-finalists England, to have its value plummet.
“There is no way Infantino can sell FFE, and guarantee the level of money promised, without UEFA teams supporting it,” football broadcaster Ben Jacobs wrote on X.
According to reports, a two-hour UEFA delegates meeting featured not a single voice in support of Infantino, though Czech football association president David Trunda had previously defended the plan.
“They’re trying to do a deal that gives us back our money,” a UEFA delegate is reported to have said of the proposal, according to a report by The Telegraph.
Infantino described the initiative on Wednesday as a “golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally”.
But UEFA, whose president Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final to show unhappiness with FIFA, argued: “This model has no place in world football.
“Football’s future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return.
“Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain,” Ceferin said.
“Europe’s position is clear. We will never lend this model our legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation.”
The FIFA proposal has drawn criticism from not only UEFA but also several leading European federations and European Union officials, who view it as another step in the commercialisation of sport and have raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest.
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The EU praised UEFA on Thursday for “defending the integrity of the game”.
“I welcome this UEFA statement and fully support its position,” European commissioner for sports Glenn Micallef said in a social media post.
“Proud to see Europe’s football associations leading on governance, standing firm on their principles,” he posted.
The 41 members of CONCACAF, including the three co-hosts of the recent World Cup – the United States, Mexico and Canada – unanimously rejected the proposal on Thursday.
North and Central American football’s governing body said “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”.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have also expressed concern that the FIFA proposal was made public before all 211 member associations were fully consulted.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has urged its members to review FIFA’s divisive plan.
UEFA said in its statement Thursday that the World Cup was “one of football’s greatest sporting legacies … built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent.
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“It is both irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game,” UEFA said.
“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football.
“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.”
UEFA added: “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.”