All 55 Uefa members have unanimously agreed to boycott Fifa competitions if Gianni Infantino pushes forward with proposals to sell chunks of the World Cup to US-based private investment. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting on Thursday, with a vote of 55-0.
Uefa's united front
In a statement, Uefa said members 'unanimously and unequivocally reject' the proposals. The meeting lasted just short of two hours and ended with a united front, despite earlier fears that smaller countries might be swayed by the money on offer.
Uefa's statement confirmed: '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.'
Reactions and implications
The heads of more than 20 FAs spoke during the meeting, introduced by Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin. Debbie Hewitt, president of the FA, gave a 'very tough' exposition in favour of a boycott, according to one attendee. An FA spokesperson said: '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.'
The proposed boycott would begin with next year’s Women’s World Cup. Uefa also invited other confederations to follow their lead, and are understood to be confident that a number of Asian countries are similarly minded. 'National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences,' Uefa said. '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 within European football 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, who have expressed opposition but not yet announced support for a boycott. Concacaf has arranged its own emergency meeting for 5.30pm UK time. Several European associations have held talks with their governments, many of whom 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'.
