UEFA is considering a World Cup boycott if FIFA President Gianni Infantino goes ahead with his plan to sell shares to private investors. The proposal would create a £15 billion ($20bn) subsidiary, with Infantino aiming to sell more than 20% of the FIFA Forward Enterprise to raise £3.16bn ($4.2bn).
An emergency UEFA meeting is scheduled for 2pm today to counter FIFA's move to launch a new commercial company with outside investment. Reports indicate that these plans were not disclosed during meetings with football associations in New York the night before the World Cup final.
UEFA issued a statement condemning the proposal: "This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game."
The statement added: "The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade - especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell."
Historical World Cup Boycotts and Withdrawals
Mirror Football has examined past instances when nations have withdrawn from the World Cup.
Uruguay - 1934
The defending champions, who won the inaugural tournament in 1930, did not participate in 1934. They withdrew in protest after several European teams refused to travel to South America for the 1930 edition. This remains the only World Cup where the defending champions failed to compete.
Austria - 1938
Austria, among the favourites for the 1938 tournament, were unable to compete after Nazi Germany annexed the country. Several Austrian players joined the German side, but star Matthias Sindelar refused to represent the Nazi-led team.
India - 1950
India qualified for the 1950 World Cup by default after other teams withdrew, but chose not to attend. The decision was attributed to travel costs, training time, and squad selection difficulties.
15 African Teams - 1966
The 1966 World Cup saw a boycott by 15 African nations during qualifying. They protested FIFA's decision to allocate only one place for the combined African, Asian, and Oceania confederations. The nations included Algeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, and the United Arab Republic (now Egypt).
Chile - 1974
In 1974, Chile nearly boycotted the World Cup on political grounds. The Soviet Union refused to play the intercontinental play-off against Chile in protest against Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. The Chilean team took to the pitch alone, with captain Francisco Valdes scoring into an empty net before the match was abandoned.
Recent Protests
In 2022, all 32 qualified nations participated in the Qatar World Cup, but some players staged demonstrations over alleged human rights abuses and the host nation's stance on LGBT rights. Captains from seven European nations (England, Wales, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland) planned to wear "OneLove" armbands but abandoned the plan after FIFA threatened automatic yellow cards.
In March 2026, ahead of the World Cup, Iranian sports minister Ahmad Donyamali announced that the national team would not participate "under any circumstances" due to escalating regional conflict and U.S./Israeli airstrikes. However, Iran did not officially withdraw and instead requested relocation to Mexico. FIFA rejected the request, and Iran ultimately played in the tournament, subject to travel restrictions requiring them to travel in and out of the USA on match days.
