UEFA Weighs World Cup Boycott Over FIFA Investment Plan
European football governing body UEFA is considering the possibility of boycotting future FIFA World Cup tournaments amid growing opposition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino's proposed commercial restructuring.
According to reports, UEFA member associations are scheduled to hold an emergency virtual meeting this week to discuss their response to FIFA's plan to establish a new commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise, and sell more than 20 per cent of it to private investors.
FIFA recently confirmed that the proposed subsidiary has been valued at approximately $20 billion, with plans to raise $4.2 billion through the sale of a minority stake.
The announcement reportedly caught several national football associations, including England's Football Association, by surprise, as the proposal had not been presented during meetings held before the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
The development has sparked strong criticism within UEFA, which argues that football's governance should not be opened to private ownership without transparency.
In a strongly worded statement, UEFA said the move crossed a line that football's governing institutions should never cross, insisting that the sport's governance and integrity are not commercial assets to be sold.
Sources indicate that some European nations are prepared to consider the ultimate sanction of withdrawing from future World Cup competitions if FIFA proceeds with the plan without addressing their concerns.
The latest dispute adds to a series of recent clashes between UEFA and FIFA. In 2021, FIFA abandoned its proposal to stage the World Cup every two years after UEFA, led by president Aleksander Ceferin, warned that European nations would refuse to participate.
Relations between the two organisations have remained tense. UEFA previously criticised FIFA over the lifting of USA striker Folarin Balogun's suspension during the 2026 World Cup and accused Infantino in 2025 of putting political interests ahead of football after he arrived late for the FIFA Congress following a trip with former US President Donald Trump.
Reports also suggest the proposed investment group, Thrive Eternal, has political links through its chief executive, Josh Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is married to Trump's daughter.
With the next FIFA World Cup set to be the Women's tournament in Brazil next year, the standoff between UEFA and FIFA could have significant implications for the future governance and commercial direction of world football.
According to reports, UEFA member associations are scheduled to hold an emergency virtual meeting this week to discuss their response to FIFA's plan to establish a new commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise, and sell more than 20 per cent of it to private investors.
FIFA recently confirmed that the proposed subsidiary has been valued at approximately $20 billion, with plans to raise $4.2 billion through the sale of a minority stake.
The announcement reportedly caught several national football associations, including England's Football Association, by surprise, as the proposal had not been presented during meetings held before the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
The development has sparked strong criticism within UEFA, which argues that football's governance should not be opened to private ownership without transparency.
In a strongly worded statement, UEFA said the move crossed a line that football's governing institutions should never cross, insisting that the sport's governance and integrity are not commercial assets to be sold.
Sources indicate that some European nations are prepared to consider the ultimate sanction of withdrawing from future World Cup competitions if FIFA proceeds with the plan without addressing their concerns.
The latest dispute adds to a series of recent clashes between UEFA and FIFA. In 2021, FIFA abandoned its proposal to stage the World Cup every two years after UEFA, led by president Aleksander Ceferin, warned that European nations would refuse to participate.
Relations between the two organisations have remained tense. UEFA previously criticised FIFA over the lifting of USA striker Folarin Balogun's suspension during the 2026 World Cup and accused Infantino in 2025 of putting political interests ahead of football after he arrived late for the FIFA Congress following a trip with former US President Donald Trump.
Reports also suggest the proposed investment group, Thrive Eternal, has political links through its chief executive, Josh Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is married to Trump's daughter.
With the next FIFA World Cup set to be the Women's tournament in Brazil next year, the standoff between UEFA and FIFA could have significant implications for the future governance and commercial direction of world football.
