European members of UEFA plan to boycott FIFA's tournaments if Gianni Infantino's controversial plans to sell the World Cup go ahead. The decision, first reported by The Times, was taken at a virtual crisis meeting of UEFA's 55 member nations chaired by its president, Aleksander Ceferin.
Fatal blow to Infantino's proposal
The potential for a boycott, which would affect both the men's and women's World Cups, surely represents a fatal blow to Infantino's controversial plans to sell off FIFA's marquee event. Announced only a few days ago, Infantino unveiled a proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup by setting up a new company called FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would oversee commercial rights for every tournament.
FIFA's 211 member associations, including the English Football Association, have been promised windfalls of up to $40 million (£30.1m) each if they agree to the proposal by the September 19 deadline.
Widespread criticism
But the proposal, which blindsided governing bodies across the football world, faced immediate and widespread criticism due to concerns over the influence of private investment into the new company and the tournaments more generally. UEFA were the first to lambast the plans, claiming that 'the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade'.
Other governing bodies from South America, Asia and Concacaf followed suit, criticising the proposal and the lack of consultation before the public announcement.
Infantino defends plans
In a statement on Wednesday evening, Infantino sought to defend the plans, insisting it was 'an opportunity but not an obligation'. 'We believe that the FFE proposal would unlock the sport's potential in every corner of the world across men's, women's and youth football,' he added. 'In the next (FIFA) Forward cycle alone distributions would rise $8m per member association to $20m. Additionally, each member association will also have the option to access a further $20m through the FIFA Fast Forward Programme, taking the potential funding to $40m per member association for this next cycle. It is a golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally.'
