European football’s governing body, UEFA, has unanimously voted to boycott FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, if FIFA approves President Gianni Infantino‘s proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of its flagship tournaments to private investors.
- +UEFA threatens FIFA boycott over Infantino’s plan to sell World Cup stake
- +“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product.”
The threat marks a major escalation in the growing opposition to FIFA’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new commercial subsidiary that would manage the governing body’s commercial assets, including broadcasting, sponsorship, licensing and ticketing rights.
The threat marks a major escalation in the growing opposition to FIFA’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new commercial subsidiary that would manage the governing body’s commercial assets, including broadcasting, sponsorship, licensing and ticketing rights.
Earlier this week, Infantino announced plans to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a company valued at $20 billion, through which FIFA would sell minority, non-controlling stakes to outside investors.
The proposal seeks to raise $4.2 billion, with FIFA saying the funds would be used to generate more than $10 billion for football development over the next four years.
However, UEFA said the proposal crossed a red line, arguing that football’s biggest competitions should never become investment assets.
In a strongly worded statement issued after a meeting of its 55 member associations on Thursday, UEFA warned that it would withdraw from all FIFA competitions if the proposal receives approval from FIFA’s member associations.
“UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the organisation said.
“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product.”
“It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.”
If UEFA follows through on its threat, some of world football’s biggest nations—including England, Germany, France, Spain and Italy—would be absent from FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup.
The boycott would take effect if FIFA members vote in favour of Infantino’s proposal at a future FIFA Congress.
UEFA’s stance represents the strongest resistance yet to FIFA’s commercial restructuring plans and raises the prospect of a major split between the world’s two most powerful football governing bodies.
Opposition to the proposal is also growing outside Europe.
Concacaf, the governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, announced after its own meeting on Thursday that its 41 member associations had rejected Infantino’s proposal.
Sources familiar with the discussions said confidence in FIFA’s leadership is beginning to erode among several Concacaf members as concerns grow over the potential commercialisation of the World Cup.
The proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise would consolidate FIFA’s commercial rights, including broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing, under a separate corporate entity while allowing external investors to acquire minority stakes.
Infantino has defended the initiative, insisting it is “an opportunity, not an obligation,” and arguing that it would unlock billions of dollars in additional revenue to support football development across FIFA’s 211 member associations.
The proposal still requires approval from FIFA’s member associations before it can be implemented.
