UEFA has threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments if President Gianni Infantino proceeds with his proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of all 55 UEFA member associations on Thursday. In a statement, UEFA said it “unanimously and unequivocally rejects FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors.”
The boycott would effectively kill the proposal, as investors would be unlikely to invest without European teams. The first major tournament UEFA could boycott is the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Key Points:
A UEFA boycott would effectively kill FIFA’s $4.2bn investment plan.
Investors would likely withdraw without European teams’ participation.
The decision creates a historic rift between FIFA and European football bodies.
FIFA has given members until September 19 to accept the proposal.
The standoff could reshape global football governance and competition formats.
The September 19 deadline now looms as a critical test of whether FIFA can secure enough support — or whether UEFA’s boycott threat will force a retreat.
