European football governing body UEFA has unanimously resolved to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, if plans to sell a stake in the tournament to private investors are pursued.
The decision was reached during an emergency virtual meeting of UEFA’s 55 member associations on Thursday, following FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to restructure the commercial ownership of the World Cup.
UEFA said its member nations would refuse to participate in FIFA-organised competitions unless the proposal is completely withdrawn and FIFA provides binding assurances that the governance and ownership of its competitions will never be opened to private investors.
In a strongly worded statement, UEFA insisted that the World Cup is a global sporting heritage that should never become a commercial investment asset.
“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies, 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,” the statement read.
The emergency meeting was convened after FIFA reportedly offered each of its 211 member associations $20 million to support the proposal, with member federations expected to make a decision by mid-September.
According to reports, the plan involves spinning off FIFA’s commercial operations in a deal valued at about $20 billion, with 20 per cent ownership to be acquired by private investors. The lead investor is said to be a New York-based venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner.
Responding to the growing backlash earlier on Thursday, Infantino described the proposal as an option rather than a compulsory measure, stressing that it was “a proposal, not an obligation.”
Opposition to the plan has continued to mount across global football. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa criticised FIFA for failing to consult continental football bodies, describing the process as “totally unacceptable” and warning that it undermines the existing governance structure of world football.
The dispute has set the stage for a major confrontation between FIFA and several of its continental confederations, raising uncertainty over the future of international football competitions if the proposal proceeds.
