Uefa Threatens World Cup Boycott Over Fifa's Sell-Off
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- Uefa delivered an 11-word statement on 30 July declaring it and its 55 national associations 'will not participate in Fifa competitions' if Infantino's 20% stake sale goes through, with the Football Association standing 'shoulder to shoulder' with European colleagues.
- Fifa president Gianni Infantino proposed selling a 20% stake in a new subsidiary running the World Cup and other competitions, with private investors including Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
- Concacaf's 41 member associations also rejected the proposal, and sources say the 'vast majority' of its members are losing faith in Infantino's ability to govern, with the deadline to accept the deal and bank $20m by 1 January set for 19 September.
- The U20 Women's World Cup in Poland starting 5 September is the first competition at risk, with European nations potentially withdrawing mid-tournament before the quarter-finals, followed by Women's World Cup play-offs in October featuring England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Uefa supplied three of the four semi-finalists in the last men's World Cup, Women's World Cup, and Club World Cup, meaning a European boycott would gut Fifa's $40bn (£30bn) product projections that Infantino promised national associations.
- Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been mentioned as a potential challenger to Infantino's March 2027 re-election but has declined, with a source saying he 'genuinely, genuinely, genuinely doesn't want the job' — though Infantino was previously expected to be re-elected unopposed.
- Former Uefa CEO Lars-Christer Olsson said Infantino has 'overplayed his hand' and advocated a reform where the Fifa presidency rotates among confederations, while former FA chairman David Bernstein said 'on this occasion, Infantino's got to back down.'
Why it matters: Uefa supplied three of the four semi-finalists in the last World Cup, Women's World Cup, and Club World Cup, so a European pullout would hollow out Fifa's flagship events and the $40bn product Infantino promised to national associations — making the $20m each federation would bank by 1 January meaningless. The 19 September deadline could force a crisis before the U20 Women's World Cup in Poland even reaches its semi-finals.
