<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n The response has been scathing, with UEFA and North and Central American body CONCACAF among those protesting the plan.<\/p>\n And UEFA have now escalated matters even further, with its 55 member nations voting unanimously to boycott all FIFA-run events – including the men\u2019s and women\u2019s World Cups – if it goes ahead.<\/p>\n MORE FIFA NEWS<\/b><\/p>\n \u2018PURE BRIBERY\u2019: Football Australia breaks silence on $40m World Cup shakedown<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n FIFA\u2019s $29bn bombshell promises a huge slice for Australia. It could destroy the World Cup<\/a><\/i><\/b> \u2018NOT YOURS TO SELL\u2019: WC plunged into turmoil over FIFA \u2018nuclear bomb\u2019<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n \u2018STAIN ON FOOTBALL\u2019: FIFA boss attacks WC critics in \u2018world class tantrum\u2019<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n \u201cNo 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,\u201d UEFA said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt 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\u2019s duty as the custodian of world football.\u201d <\/p>\n England\u2019s Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the country\u2019s sporting administration, The Football Association, would have the support of the government.<\/p>\n \u201cFootball belongs to the fans, not billionaire investors. Enough is enough. It\u2019s time to take a stand to protect our game,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The fracture leaves Infantino\u2019s job hanging by a thread, with UEFA reportedly backing a leadership spill.<\/p>\n The Telegraph <\/a><\/i>have reported the body supports Qatari sports executive and Paris Saint-Germain owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi as leader.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n UEFA have a long and tumultuous relationship with Infantino, who was previously the body\u2019s secretary-general during his time at FIFA\u2019s helm.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n If approved, the project could provide each of FIFA\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n But UEFA\u2019s boycott instantly cripples those plans, with a World Cup shorn of European powerhouses, including reigning men\u2019s and women\u2019s champions Spain, 2018 winners France and 2026 semi-finalists England, to have its value plummet.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no way Infantino can sell FFE, and guarantee the level of money promised, without UEFA teams supporting it,\u201d football broadcaster Ben Jacobs wrote on X.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re trying to do a deal that gives us back our money,\u201d a UEFA delegate is reported to have said of the proposal, according to a report by The Telegraph<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n Infantino described the initiative on Wednesday as a \u201cgolden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally\u201d.<\/p>\n But UEFA, whose president Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final to show unhappiness with FIFA, argued: \u201cThis model has no place in world football.<\/p>\n \u201cFootball\u2019s future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return.<\/p>\n \u201cNor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain,\u201d Ceferin said.<\/p>\n \u201cEurope\u2019s 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.\u201d <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n