European football's governing body Uefa has unanimously agreed to boycott all Fifa competitions if president Gianni Infantino pushes forward with proposals to sell chunks of the World Cup to US-based private investment firms. The decision, passed 55-0 at an emergency meeting on Thursday, marks an extraordinary escalation in the conflict between the two organisations.
Unanimous rejection of Fifa's plans
All 55 Uefa member associations resolved not to participate in future World Cups or other Fifa-run events, stating they “unanimously and unequivocally reject” the proposals. The meeting, lasting just under two hours, ended with a united front despite earlier fears that smaller countries might be swayed by the financial incentives of Infantino's scheme.
European FAs are expected to write to Fifa this week with a formal notification of their threat to boycott unless the planned World Cup sell-off is withdrawn. This puts Infantino in a difficult position, as countries had been given until 19 September to sign up to the proposal.
Consequences for Infantino and Fifa
The boycott would begin with next year's Women's World Cup, while the first age-group tournament to be affected is the Under-20 Women's World Cup, scheduled to take place in Poland from 5 September. Six of the 24 competitors, including England, are from Uefa member countries. England's women's team also face a two-legged World Cup qualifying playoff tie against Greece in October, which would test the FA's resolve if Fifa refuses to back down.
Uefa's statement confirmed the decision: “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.”
Unity among European associations
Thursday's meeting was introduced by Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, with executive committee members and Uefa's Fifa council representatives also addressing delegates. Around 20 further FA heads took the floor, and multiple sources described an atmosphere of “unity”. Debbie Hewitt, president of the FA, gave a “very tough” exposition in favour of a boycott, according to one attendee.
An FA spokesperson stated: “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.”
International support and political backing
Uefa invited other confederations to follow their lead and is confident that a number of Asian countries are similarly minded. Infantino's strongholds traditionally lie outside Europe, and a collapse in support elsewhere could have severe consequences for the Fifa president.
Uefa said: “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.”
Sources believe Uefa's decision increases the chances of a Europe-backed candidate running against Infantino in next year's Fifa election. Uefa has also held talks with Concacaf, the North American confederation, which has expressed opposition to Fifa's plans but has not yet announced support for a boycott. The 41 Concacaf nations have arranged an emergency meeting for 5.30pm UK time to discuss their response.
Several European national associations have held talks with their respective governments, many of whom have backed a boycott in private. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham was the first politician to criticise Fifa's plan, writing on X that the World Cup “was never anyone's to sell”. Culture Minister Lisa Nandy also backed Uefa's decision, stating: “This is a principled decision that we strongly support. Football belongs to the fans, not billionaire investors. Enough is enough. It's time to take a stand to protect our game.”
