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The 55 member associations of UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, have publicly agreed to boycott future editions of all FIFA international tournaments should the plans to sell their commercial rights go ahead.
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was UEFA’s general secretary before he took over world soccer’s governing body in 2016, sparked outrage in Europe when his plans to create and sell off shares in a company which would control men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups was unveiled on Tuesday.
Threats of a boycott have been floated across the subsequent days but now the decision has been definitively taken. After an emergency meeting on Thursday between the 55 nations, including the reigning men’s and women’s world champion Spain, UEFA released a stinging statement:
“UEFA and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors.
“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.
“It is both irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game. This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football.”
FIFA’s ‘Act of Coercion’
FIFA were accused of “governance by intimidation” and “an act of coercion” after Infantino sent a letter to all member associations promising a lump sum of $40 million should they agree to the plan before the rapidly approaching deadline of Sept. 19.
These swollen sums will come from private investors. Thrive Eternal, a venture capital firm run by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, has already been confirmed as the leading source of the $4.2 billion FIFA plan to raise by the end of October.
“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever,” UEFA’s statement read. “Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure. From that moment onwards, every decision on the international calendar, every decision on competition formats and every decision shaping the future of football is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders.
“This model has no place in world football. Football’s future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximize financial return. Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain.”
The Defiant Terms of UEFA’s Boycott
“Europe’s position is clear. We will never lend this model our legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation.
“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.
“Nobody should be in any doubt: UEFA and its national associations will oppose these plans with absolute determination.
“There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they are prepared to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise. This is one of those moments.
“Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”
What Would UEFA Boycott Mean for the World Cup, Infantino’s Plan?
Spain are the first nation in history to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cup at the same time. pic.twitter.com/IHuv4ADsDf
– Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) July 22, 2026
Not since 1966, when Africa mobilized to protest against FIFA’s failure to guarantee the continent even one World Cup qualification place, has there been such a collective boycott of the sport’s biggest competition.
The women’s World Cup is less than a year away and is set to include at least 11 European nations, more than any other confederation. The next men’s World Cup in 2030 will have two European co-hosts, Spain and Portugal. Staging the competition without any representative from one of the most successful continents on the planet is practically inconceivable.
The Times go so far as to predict that a UEFA boycott would “kill” Infantino’s project. While the demand for investment before this threat became a reality was reportedly high, the entire face of the enterprise would be changed by UEFA’s withdrawal.
On a strictly governmental level, voting through the plan without any European support would be more challenging. Infantino needs more than half of the 211 association members to back his project for it to come to fruition. UEFA account for 55 votes but could be joined in their withdrawal by the Asian federation (AFC).
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa wrote a letter to his 47 members which appeared to cast significant doubt over the organization’s support of the proposal.
“The AFC is deeply concerned that FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football, which are based on solidarity, cooperation and transparency,” Al Khalifa wrote, as quote by Sky News. “Moreover, such an initiative will not succeed without the support of all the confederations, which is not the case now.”
Concacaf, with its 41 members, has also expressed “deep concern” about the way the plan has been proposed with a “lack of due process.”
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This story was originally published July 30, 2026 at 9:11 AM.