NYON, Switzerland — UEFA’s 55 member associations have unanimously agreed to boycott FIFA competitions if world football’s governing body moves forward with plans to sell ownership stakes in the FIFA World Cup and other major tournaments to private investors.
The decision followed an emergency UEFA meeting, where officials strongly opposed FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to create a new commercial entity that would allow private investment in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions. UEFA described the plan as a threat to the integrity and public stewardship of football.
In a statement, UEFA said the World Cup “is not for sale” and warned that its national teams would refuse to participate in FIFA tournaments as long as the privatization proposal remains under consideration. The potential boycott would affect the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups, as well as other FIFA-organized competitions.
FIFA has argued that the proposal would generate billions of dollars in additional funding for football development worldwide while maintaining full control over governance and sporting decisions. The governing body says member associations would ultimately decide whether to approve the initiative.
The standoff marks one of the most significant disputes between FIFA and UEFA in recent years and raises uncertainty over the future of international football if negotiations fail to resolve the growing divide.