All 55 UEFA member associations have unanimously backed a boycott of FIFA competitions if the world football governing body proceeds with plans to sell stakes in its tournaments to private investors.
The decision was announced in a statement issued after an emergency meeting on Thursday, where UEFA said its members stood “as one” in rejecting FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the FIFA World Cup and other competitions to private investors.
“As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership,” the statement said.
Declaring that the World Cup should never become a commercial asset for investors, UEFA added: “The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.”
The European football body also criticised FIFA’s handling of the proposal, alleging that it was developed without adequate consultation with key stakeholders.
According to UEFA, the plan was “conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation” with the football community.
“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football,” the statement added.
The emergency meeting followed growing opposition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial subsidiary that would oversee the World Cup and other commercial operations.
Earlier this week, FIFA said the proposed FFE would remain majority-owned and controlled by the organisation, while outside investors would hold only a minority stake with no influence over football governance or sporting decisions.
FIFA also maintained that the proposal is intended to increase development funding for its 211 member associations and would only proceed if approved by a majority of the membership.
