UEFA Vows World Cup Boycott Over FIFA Sell-Off Plans
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- UEFA's 55 member associations voted unanimously at an emergency meeting to boycott all FIFA competitions if FIFA sells stakes in its competitions to private investors.
- The boycott would cover the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup, with the first scheduled test arriving in October at the Women's World Cup play-offs.
- FIFA announced plans to create a commercial subsidiary running its main events, with external investors able to buy stakes in it.
- Gianni Infantino wrote to all 211 FIFA member associations offering $40m (£30m) each to back the proposal, setting a 19 September deadline with an initial $20m (£15m) payment.
- UEFA stated: "The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product... The World Cup is not for sale," and accused FIFA of using football "to enrich themselves and their friends."
Why it matters: UEFA represents football's richest market and most powerful national associations — a coordinated walkout would strip billions in broadcast value from FIFA's flagship events. Infantino's $40m offer to 211 federations makes this a straight financial power play, with a 19 September deadline forcing every member association to publicly choose between UEFA's bloc and FIFA's cash.
